4 Blue Jays most likely to be traded if the club sells at the deadline

The Blue Jays are a quarter into the 2024 season, and the results have not clicked as they hoped. The Jays stand at an 19-23 record, having lost 6 of their last 7 series. Their run differential shows no signs of encouragement either at -47, which is an expected record of 16-26. Several key players have underperformed to this point, and the further the season goes along, the further the team may slip away from postseason contention.

What should happen if the Jays find themselves non competitive in the upcoming months? Ross Atkins and the rest of the front office may have no choice but to be sellers at the deadline. This could be the best course of action to give themselves pieces for the future, instead of going for it now, when there's so much ground to make up. So realistically, who would be moved by the Jays? It would need to be players having good enough seasons to warrant another team wanting to acquire them. There have been rumours that the Baltimore Orioles have considered Jordan Romano, so options are around to entertain with other teams. The Jays find themselves with a lot of players who are impending free agents, meaning it may be in their best interesting to trade their rental players and take advantage of the trade market.

Yusei Kikuchi

Kikuchi is having the best start to his career so far. In 9 starts, Kikuchi has a 2.60 ERA, 2.57 FIP, and has struck out 55 batters in 52 innings pitched. He appears to be a completely new pitcher for the Jays after his shaky debut season with the team in 2022. His command has also improved significantly, as Kikuchi currently has a 4.8 BB%, which is 16th lowest for all qualified starters.

Currently, Kikuchi is pitching like an ace. And at worst, he's become an extremely viable #3 starter that any team would be willing to add to their rotation. He's a left handed pitcher, averaging 95.6 mph on his fastball, which makes him an even more enticing candidate at the trade deadline. Kikuchi will be a free agent after this season, and is playing himself into a great future contract. The Jays would like to retain Kikuchi after the developments he's made, but could end up benefitting more by moving him at the deadline. There will be plenty of suitors for teams looking to strengthen their rotation, and it's without question that Kikuchi has been a strength for the Jays.