Blue Jays' trade deadline fate could determine speed of top draft pick's MLB ascent

When the Toronto Blue Jays called up Trey Yesavage in September of 2025 it marked a sharp detour in the way the front office normally handled business. They sensed that a chance to win was within reach, and they needed to maximize that opportunity. Calling up a 22-year-old who was drafted only a year and change prior, and inserting him into a playoff caliber rotation was a gamble that paid off for the Blue Jays as they reached the World Series for the first time in three decades.

While they may not be in the same position in 2026 in terms of their playoff hopes, they could be in a similar position with one of their prospects. Left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon was taken with the No. 39 overall pick in the draft that just wrapped up a few weeks ago and some analysts are saying that he could be ready for the big leagues before the end of this season.

On MLB.com, Jonathan Mayo wrote, "He will be developed as a starter, there's no doubt in my mind, but I expect the Blue Jays to be able to hit the reset. This, after all, was a team that was inches away from winning the World Series last year.

His 70-grade slider may be the best slider in the entire class. It's an 87-88 mph short, hard, cutter-like slider. He throws it a lot. He can manipulate it. Let's say he's in Double-A in the second half of the year. They can shorten him up, and that slider alone will get big league hitters out out of the bullpen."

There are two ways to look at this. Either the Blue Jays get back in the race and need a lefty out of the bullpen. They currently only have one, Mason Fluharty, that they have trusted all season. They've also got Patrick Corbin and Brendon Little in the bullpen as well, but is anyone trusting them in big game situations at this point? So why not give the 21-year-old six-foot-five Carlon a shot in that spot?

The other way he gets to the big leagues is if the Blue Jays do what everyone expects at this point and sells at the deadline, that sell off could include some starters, namely Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber. In that scenario, they'll still need someone to start games for them. At Arizona State this past season, Carlon started 16 games and produced a 3.87 ERA, with 133 strikeouts in 83.2 innings pitched and a 1.19 WHIP.

He is currently built to give teams some length, and the Blue Jays may end up needed to slog through a bunch of innings as the season drags on. They also have some uncertainty in their rotation next year with only Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage as guys that are locked into starting roles come Opening Day 2027. Giving Carlon some big league experience in games that have no barring on the standings would essentially equate to an early spring training auditon.

Carlon's rise could help Blue Jays focus on other priorities

The Blue Jays will always look to add pitching. So even if Carlon comes up to The Show and showcases enough for the front office to think he'll have a shot at cracking the roster next year, they'll still most likely be active in the offseason in the pitching department.

However, what the Blue Jays have shown this year is that they need to add offense. If Carlon can help shorten their shopping list, it would allow them to focus more of their attention on going after the bats they sorely need to punch some life into the lineup.

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