Pirates' minor move for Hasell III could signal Blue Jays' trade deadline opportunity

The MLB trade deadline is still a few weeks away but trade season feels like it is being thrust upon us a little bit earlier than expected. There's been several moves made over the last week or so that could hint at what teams are setting themselves up for, once the real trade season begins.

The Toronto Blue Jays got in on the action before the All-Star break by moving Tommy Nance to the Minnesota Twins for catching prospect Ryan Sprock. The Milwaukee Brewers landed Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros. And the Pittsburgh Pirates brought in outfielder Robert Hassell III from the Washington Nationals.

That last trade is the one that should give the Blue Jays an indication of what teams may be looking for at the deadline. Hassell is a 24-year-old former top prospect who went eighth overall in the 2020 draft. His stock has fallen and the Nationals had outrighted him to Triple-A, so it was very much a small risk - big reward type of play by the Pirates.

But getting any kind of significant contribution from Hassell might be a very wishful thinking. He only managed to hit .233 with a .572 OPS in 70 games in 2025. Those are the only games he's played at the MLB level in his career. He's spent all of 2026 with Triple-A Rochester, slashing .215/.304/.289 with two home runs and 67 strikeouts.

It's interesting the Pirates would pursue Hassell because if it's one thing they do have is left-handed hitting outfielders. But it's also something the Blue Jays have an abundance of. Jays Journal previously wrote about all the options the Blue Jays have as trade chips going into the deadline. More than an handful of those options just happen to be left-handed hitting outfielders. From guys on the MLB roster like Nathan Lukes and Daulton Varsho, to guys in the minors like RJ Schreck, to guys currently rehabbing injuries like Anthony Santander and Jesús Sánchez.

This only matters if the Blue Jays decide to be sellers of any sort. Whether that be soft sellers and trading expiring contracts such as Varsho's, or they surprise everyone and do a hard sell by letting go of guys who still have some years left on their contracts. Regardless of how they play this out, it's becoming clear that left-handed hitting outfielders could be a commodity at the deadline.

Blue Jays would rather be buyers on August 3

Even if the Blue Jays arent' sellers, this group of players could net them what they are looking for. It might cost them more, by bundling up these guys with other prospects for players they think can help them win. But that also only matters if the Blue Jays manage to turn things around before the Aug. 3 deadline.

The Blue Jays have a tough task ahead of them to get that done. Coming out of the All-Star break at 45-51, not only is getting back to .500 going to be a grind, but the teams they have to battle against to make it happen don't offer any reprieve. The Blue Jays face the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox in their first ten games out of the break.

While they have the 16th toughest schedule remaining the rest of the year, it's a slog before they "ease into" September. By then, the trade deadline will have come and gone and so too could the Blue Jays' chances of a postseason berth.

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