Former GM believes Blue Jays should dangle Louis Varland at trade deadline

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden believes the Toronto Blue Jays should cast a wide net at the 2026 trade deadline—and that includes dangling Louis Varland.

Trading Varland would be a bold, potentially franchise-altering decision. Whether or not it makes sense depends on several factors.

Varland has arguably been the Blue Jays’ best player in 2026, his first full season with the club after being acquired at last year’s deadline from the Minnesota Twins.

He’s gone a perfect 23-for-23 in save opportunities since usurping Jeff Hoffman as the team’s closer, allowing just six earned runs across his 55 innings pitched. He’s struck out 73 batters compared to 14 walks while allowing only one home run. 

He’s already been named an All-Star for his efforts this season and could receive down-ballot Cy Young votes if he keeps his ERA under 1.00, although his teammate Dylan Cease likely has a much more realistic shot at winning the award. 

So, with all that being said, why would the Blue Jays entertain trading Varland?

The simple answer is because of what they could potentially get back for him. The young right-hander is under team control through 2030 and is going to be cheap for a long time. Relievers of his ilk cost upwards of $15 million per year in free agency.

Mason Miller is the obvious comparison point here. The Athletics got a package headlined by Leo De Vries, now the second-ranked prospect in all of baseball, when they traded him to the San Diego Padres last summer. Could the Blue Jays get a similar return? 

That’s what Ross Atkins and company need to find out. It’s worth noting that Padres GM AJ Preller is not a fair representation of most MLB front offices; he is often willing to overpay to acquire a player he covets. Most GMs would have never pulled the trigger on that Miller deal, and therefore likely wouldn’t do anything similar for Varland.

A Varland return could be worth quite a haul for the Blue Jays

Still, Varland could likely fetch multiple top-100 prospects from a contending team with a deep farm system. Would the Milwaukee Brewers, for example, see him as the missing piece to create a super-bullpen that finally gets them over the hump? 

It would also be worth seeing if Varland could net several players who could help the Blue Jays in 2027 if they intend on competing. Moving him may seem counterintuitive if that is the goal, but a young bat and a controllable starting pitcher would probably be more helpful than a closer. Tyler Rogers is proof that great relievers can be acquired in free agency if you are willing to spend.

The elephant in the room is that bullpen arms are extremely volatile. Varland could be the best closer in the American League again next season, or he could regress to the guy he was in 2025 (or worse). He could also get hurt. The unavoidable truth is that Varland’s trade value right now is likely the highest it ever will be—the Blue Jays have to do their due diligence. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow