Grading all 8 Blue Jays trade deadline deals made in 2024 one year later

Looking back to the 2024 MLB trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays made numerous deals with the intention that it would net them some important pieces to help in their future success. In doing so, the Blue Jays received many promising prospects from various levels, but at the same time lost some long-serving and productive players in the process.

Now almost one year later, how well did Toronto do with all of those deals?

Grading all 8 Blue Jays trade deadline deals made in 2024

Toronto Blue Jays trade Yimi Garcia to the Seattle Mariners for Jonatan Clase and Jacob Sharp

As one of the Blue Jays’ top relievers at the time, Yimi García helped Toronto get a decent haul in electric outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher Jacob Sharp. García underperformed as a Mariner, posting a less-than-stellar 6.00 ERA in nine innings before being lost for the remainder of the season due to an elbow injury. He re-signed with the Jays for the 2025 season and has been steady as a rock.

As for the prospects that Toronto received in return, the results have been mixed so far. Sharp began the year with the Jays’ Double-A affiliate New Hampshire and has posted just a .170 average, .449 OPS, along with eight runs scored, six RBIs and a whopping 30 strikeouts in just 94 total at-bats over 35 games played.

For Clase, he has been with the team since he earned his second promotion to the big leagues in early May. Clase has compiled a .202 average, .581 OPS, with eight runs scored, two home runs, seven RBIs and three stolen bases in 27 games of action.

Despite some struggles from the prospects, the fact that the Blue Jays got back the piece they dealt away made it feel like they received those prospects for free. If the prospects eventually pan out even more, the resulting grade would ultimately reflect that.
Grade: B+

Toronto Blue Jays trade Trevor Richards to the Minnesota Twins for Jay Harry

Former reliever Trevor Richards was moved to the Minnesota Twins for infielder prospect Jay Harry. Despite his prominent strikeout ability, Richards had an inconsistent tenure with the Jays as he would have spurts of brilliance mixed in with disastrous outings. This season has been a disaster for Richards, already bouncing around to three different teams.

Prospect Harry has moved from Vancouver to New Hampshire after a solid start to his 2025 minor league campaign. Unfortunately, Harry has now endured some struggles at the Double-A level, compiling just a .158 average, .498 OPS, along with 13 runs scored, two home runs, and eight RBIs in 39 games played with New Hampshire to date. 

With Richards middling in the minors trying to rediscover his game, at least Harry is making some progress, albeit a small one so far in 2025.
Grade: C

Toronto Blue Jays trade Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox for Cutter Coffey, Eddinson Paulino and Gilberto Batista

Danny Jansen had been with the organization for over seven seasons before the trade to Boston in return for three intriguing prospects. Jansen has struggled since leaving Toronto. This year with the Tampa Bay Rays, it has been an uneventful campaign to date as he has posted just a .195 average, .644 OPS, along with six home runs and 18 RBIs in 51 games played.

With respect to the return package, all three currently rank outside of the Jays’ top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Nevertheless, infielder Cutter Coffey has actually put up a solid 2025 campaign so far, registering a .278 average, .764 OPS with 40 runs scored, five home runs and 36 RBIs in 54 games with the Jays’ High-A affiliate Vancouver.

Infielder Eddinson Paulino has also had a respectable season thus far with New Hampshire, amassing a .250 average, .759 OPS, with nine doubles, six home runs and 18 RBIs in 49 games played.

Finally, for pitcher Gilberto Batista, he is also having a great year so far with the Jays’ Single-A affiliate Dunedin, compiling a 5-4 record, 2.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, along with 51 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings pitched over 13 appearances that included eight starts.

With Jansen’s current struggles with the Rays, and a decent showing of the three prospects to date, the Jays sure got a fair deal out of the trade.
Grade: B+

Toronto Blue Jays trade Nate Pearson to the Chicago Cubs for Yohendrick Pinango and Josh Rivera 

Despite his immense talent and potential, Nate Pearson was known more for his inconsistency throughout his tenure with the Jays. After joining the Chicago Cubs at the 2024 trade deadline, he displayed that promise once again by going 2-1 with a tidy 2.73 ERA, 0.99 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings over his final 19 appearances in 2024.

However this season, Pearson’s inconsistency has resurfaced, as he posted an abysmal 10.38 ERA, 2.31 WHIP, yielding 10 runs in just 8 2/3 innings of work over eight outings. He was optioned to the minors by the Cubs earlier this season before recently being recalled for another opportunity.

As for the Jays, infielder Josh Rivera has struggled with a .210 average, .620 OPS, with three home runs and 20 RBIs in 57 games split between New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo.

Outfielder Yohendrick Pinango has had a strong start to his 2025 campaign, posting a .298 average, .928 OPS, with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 47 games with New Hampshire. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo where he has since cooled down just a bit as he adjusts to hitting at the higher minor league level. 

With the unpredictability in the performances of both Pearson and the prospects that the Jays received so far, we should be conservative in the grade.
Grade: B-

Toronto Blue Jays trade Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros for Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner

Thought to be a fleece of epic proportions by the Blue Jays at the time, the Yusei Kikuchi trade with the Houston Astros may have evened out over the past year. Kikuchi helped the Astros reach the postseason in 2024 and signed with the Los Angeles Angels for 2025. The 34-year-old veteran has helped anchor an Angels pitching staff by compiling a solid 3.01 ERA while striking out close to a batter per inning over 16 starts.

The Blue Jays in return received a package of prospects that included outfielder Joey Loperfido, who has been stuck in Buffalo this season after becoming almost a regular for Toronto down the stretch in 2024. Loperfido has posted an impressive .281 average, .788 OPS, along with 34 runs scored, 16 doubles, five home runs, 33 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 65 games as he awaits his chance.

Infielder Will Wagner began the year with the Blue Jays, but was demoted back to the minors for more seasoning. Wagner has posted a modest .269 average, .771 OPS, with nine runs scored, two home runs and 11 RBIs in 13 games. Meanwhile, pitcher Jake Bloss has been lost for the season due to an UCL injury in his right elbow.

With the Jays desperately looking for a consistent starter for their back end of the rotation in 2025, Kikuchi would have been the ideal candidate to fulfill that role. But the potential of the three prospects still gives the Jays much hope for the future.
Grade B

Toronto Blue Jays trade Justin Turner and cash to the Seattle Mariners for R.J. Schreck

Amidst a down season for veteran Justin Turner in 2024, the Jays managed to convert him into an asset in outfielder R.J. Schreck in a trade with the Mariners. Turner would provide decent value to Seattle down the stretch, but this year with the Chicago Cubs, Turner has been less productive, compiling just a .204 average, and .545 OPS in 40 contests.

As for Schreck, he is now in the Blue Jays’ top 20 prospects ranked at No. 18. Schreck was recently promoted to Triple-A Buffalo after a strong start in New Hampshire where he batted .266 with a .914 OPS, 27 runs scored, nine home runs, 20 RBIs and five stolen bases in 41 games. Schreck has two home runs and four RBIs in nine games with Buffalo.

This move becomes a win for the Jays as they suddenly have some much-needed depth in their outfield for the future.
Grade: B+

Toronto Blue Jays trade Kevin Kiermaier to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Ryan Yarbrough 

When the Jays moved fan favourite Kevin Kiermaier to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the stretch run last year, to give Kiermaier the opportunity to win a World Series ring before his eventual retirement. He ultimately accomplished that feat despite limited playing time with the Dodgers throughout their championship run. In the end, Kiermaier saw 34 games of action with four more during the playoffs to conclude his illustrious career. However, the Jays managed to get a surprising return in pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.

Yarbrough would provide the Jays with top-notch pitching out of their bullpen for the final two months of 2024, posting a stellar 2.01 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, along with just seven walks and 26 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings pitched over 12 relief appearances.

Despite that impressive audition for 2025, Toronto somehow couldn’t see any value in that and eventually lost Yarbrough to the New York Yankees prior to the start of the regular season. As a result, the 33-year-old veteran has been excelling so far with the Jays’ division rivals.

Had the Jays made the wise decision in keeping Yarbrough, the trade deal would have been without a doubt an A. However, with Kiermaier retiring and Yarbrough no longer with the team, they effectively cancel each other out. Grade: B-

Toronto Blue Jays trade Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Charles McAdoo

Utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a productive season last year and was able to net the Jays with a prime prospect in Charles McAdoo from Pittsburgh. But since moving to the Pirates, Kiner-Falefa’s production has dropped off considerably compared to the rate he was producing with Toronto. In 114 games with the Pirates, the 30-year-old utilityman has accumulated just a .262 average, .635 OPS, 43 runs scored, two home runs and 27 RBIs. Just for comparison, he put up a .292 average, .758 OPS, 32 runs scored, seven home runs and 33 RBIs in just 83 games during his time with the Jays.

McAdoo has loads of potential as he currently ranks 12th on the Jays’ top 30 prospects list. However, he has been having some challenges at the Double-A level. In 55 games with New Hampshire, McAdoo has compiled just a .220 average, .633 OPS, with 26 runs scored, 12 doubles, four home runs, 17 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He has shown signs of turning things around in June with a .273 average and .764 OPS for the month while going a perfect seven-for-seven in stolen bases. This gives Toronto a potential solid future utilityman.
Grade: B