Grading the Blue Jays' 2025 Trade Deadline

Trade No. 4 - Louis Varland and Ty France

The final five minutes of the trade deadline proved to be stressful for Blue Jays fans. In what felt like an underwhelming day, leaving more to improve for the team, Ross Atkins delivered at the buzzer in a big way.

Toronto found some last-minute bullpen help in the likes of Louis Varland and Wagner's utility replacement in Ty France. It came at a price with Alan Roden and the newly ranked fifth prospect in Kendrys Rojas. However, it may end up being worth it in the long run.

Varland is a hard-throwing pitcher with a 2.02 ERA and a high groundball rate of 54.5%. His fastball sits in the 95th percentile, averaging 98.1 MPH. 2025 is shaping up to be his breakout year, and the Blue Jays needed that other reliable arm in the bullpen. More importantly, Varland is under team control until 2031.

France is a free agent at the end of the year, but his role off the bench could prove worthwhile among the rest of the utility options for manager John Schneider. His right-handed bat immediately replaces the void Wagner left upon being traded.

While giving up Rojas may be tough down the road, when you have the chance to pick up a hard-throwing pitcher with many years left on his contract, you take it.

Grade: A

Final Grade: B+

Toronto was linked to a lot of big names over the last few weeks. Eugenio Suarez, David Bednar, Steven Kwan, the list goes on. Ultimately, the Blue Jays never landed those "big names" that many anticipated to be playing for Canada's only team. When you look at it from that perspective, it can sting, especially when the rival teams are stacking up their rosters.

However, the Blue Jays are still first in the American League East. It's a team that got there with the roster they had before the trade deadline. That's not something that should be entirely ignored.

Their bullpen is, without a doubt, better today than it was before the deadline. The additions of Dominguez and Varland enhance their pitching options, and if Yimi Garcia returns, then the Blue Jays will have an abundance of possibilities for those crucial late innings. As for the missing bat that fans wanted to see at the deadline, don't forget Daulton Varsho's return is imminent, and he's a bat the Blue Jays are ready to welcome back to the lineup.

Ultimately, Bieber's addition will be the move that will be looked at the most. The question of where Bieber would fit in the starting rotation will spark debate when the time comes. Regardless, it's the high-risk, high-reward deal that the Blue Jays are known to make. We'll see if it pans out.