Alex Bregman one of several players who could help Blue Jays rivals at deadline

The American League continues to be a pack of mediocrity at the halfway point of the season. While the Detroit Tigers sit at the front of the pack with a healthy lead in the Central Division, the other division leaders, the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros, are one bad week away from losing their spots within the East and West respectively. The Wild Card scene is even more jammed with nine teams either holding a wild card spot, or within 3.5 games of one.

Alex Bregman one of several players who could help Blue Jays rivals in postseason push

The Toronto Blue Jays are right in the middle at 42-36, 2.5 games back of the Yankees and just ahead of the last wild card spot. While it’s clear they will need to make some upgrades at the deadline, the same is true for the teams around them. ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently released a list of the top 50 MLB trade deadline candidates and those teams around the Blue Jays were mentioned among the organizations who could be making noise at the deadline.

Here’s a look at what five of the Blue Jays closets competitors could do a month from now.
(Playoff odds calculated by Baseball Reference)

1. Yankees, playoff odds: 98.7%

The Yankees playoff odds could go even higher if they were to land one of the third baseman whom Passan tagged as being available. He says the Yankees are a fit to land third baseman Alex Bregman from the Red Sox, Eugenio Suarez from the Diamondbacks, Ryan McMahon from the Rockies, or Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals. He adds relief pitchers Ryan Helsley from St. Louis and Reid Detmers from the Angels are potential fits in New York.

Jun 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) jumps and looks on after hitting a game tying solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

If the Yankees land any one of those infielders, along with a pitcher of this calibre for the back end of their bullpen, the AL East may be locked up by the 27-time world champions.