One realistic, bold, and avoidable trade the Blue Jays should make before CBA expires

With the CBA expiring very soon, the days leading up to the expiration could be a transaction frenzy. The Toronto Blue Jays will need to get creative with any potential trade this offseason. Whether that is absorbing a significant amount of a contract in order to reduce the acquisition cost or attaching bad contracts for salary-matching purposes.

On the Major League side, the Blue Jays have some pitchers and outfielders they could look to move. In the minors however, is not a very deep system despite selling off several pieces in 2026. They also gave back some of that depth after acquiring José Soriano.

One realistic, one bold, and one avoidable trade the Blue Jays could make

Realistic: Ketel Marte for Addison Barger, Nolan Perry, and Braydon Fisher

Marte is one of the top bats potentially available on the trade market. At 33-years-old, Marte possesses great plate discipline, hits for a lot of power, and is a solid defender at second base. He has also had seasons where he posted 6+ fWAR (2019 and 2024).

He is on one of the best contracts in the league and is only owed $89M until the end of the 2031 season. One thing to note, Marte has 10-and-5 rights meaning he can block any trade.

The Diamondbacks are looking for a left-handed bat and Addison Barger would satisfy that condition. Barger struggled to stay healthy in 2026, but he was a major contributor in 2025 that helped propel the Blue Jays into the World Series. He put up 2.2 fWAR in 2025 and still has room to grow. Now 27, Barger has four more years of control so he would be an enticing headliner.

Perry enjoyed a breakout 2026 season coming back from Tommy John surgery. He currently has the upside of a mid-rotation starter with room for more. He has an outside chance of making his Major League debut in 2027, should there be a season.

The Blue Jays would be dealing from a surplus as they have a lot of relief options on their 40-man roster. Although Fisher had a down year in 2026, he has shown he can handle many roles as either an opener or in high-leverage situations. A free agent after 2031, Fisher would be a cost-controlled reliever add to an average Diamondbacks bullpen that finished 16th in ERA (4.07) last season.

Bold: James Wood for Trey Yesavage, Addison Barger, Johnny King

James Wood would address many issues in the Blue Jays lineup. He is a very disciplined hitter (16.4% and 21.3% walk and chase rates, respectively), he hits the ball hard and often (100th percentile exit velocity, barrel, and hard-hit rates). Wood's glaring issue is his defense, and if he cannot figure out the defense there is risk he is purely a DH, albeit an elite one.

The Nationals rotation is currently headlined by Cade Cavalli. After him, there is surprise breakout Andrew Alvarez, Connelly Early who missed time due to injury, and Jake Irvin who has yet to put it together and has a career 5.03 ERA.

Adding Yesavage would give the Nationals a strong 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. In his brief career, Yesavage has shown he can dominate the best hitters in the league. In a shortened 2026, he only put up 1.3 fWAR due to command issues, but is capable of posting 3.5fWAR or better seasons. He is only 23 and controllable through 2031, making him the headlining piece.

The Nationals would have Daylen Lile, Jacob Young, and Dylan Crews patrolling their outfield, allowing Barger to move back to third. They currently have Brady House at third who has not showed much in the Majors. Barger has shown in the past that his arm can play at either third base or right field.

King has been a steady climber up the Blue Jays system. He made his professional debut in 2025 and was able to reach Double-A in 2026. He throws hard from the left side and possesses an elite ability to strike out hitters, but at the expense of walks. If he is not able to develop the command, he could be a lights out closer, similar to Josh Hader.

Avoid: Acquiring Jeremy Peña

Peña's career 37% chase rate would add onto a problem that the Blue Jays struggled mightily with in 2026. Despite tying his career high 22 home runs, 12 of them came at home in only 49 games compared to 10 home runs in 62 games on the road.

His 21.3% pull-air rate was the highest of his career and he was benefitting from the short left field at Daikin Park. He hits the ball hard (38.6% hard-hit rate) at around league average and has league average exit velocity (career 88.3 mph exit velo).

Defensively, he has fluctuated good and bad defensive seasons at shortstop, but has graded positively at shortstop. With Andrés Giménez at shortstop, Peña would have to make the transition to second base. A free agent after 2027, it would a gamble for Peña to switch positions in a contract year.

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