5 bold Blue Jays predictions for the MLB trade deadline

2. The Blue Jays steer clear of big name starting pitchers and end up trading for Padres pitcher Seth Lugo instead

Despite the recent hot rumors of the Jays pursuing their former ace Marcus Stroman, along with previous projected elite targets such as Cleveland Guardians’ ace Shane Bieber and Chicago White Sox’s starter Lucas Giolito, along with the potential chance in getting in on the Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, they consciously end up choosing the wise route with the safe option in obtaining the services of Seth Lugo of the Padres.

Lugo has put up a solid season as a starter this year, going 3-4 with a 3.78 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, giving up 29 earned runs, with 13 walks and 64 strikeouts in 69 innings of work. In addition, he has had previous MLB experience as both a starter and a reliever, so he can potentially provide some roster flexibility for the Jays if need be to use at their disposal.

The reason being is that the Jays hope for either Alek Manoah or Hyun Jin Ryu to step up in the coming weeks to lock down their spot in the starting rotation. If neither of them performs to acceptable levels, Lugo will instantly slot in as the fifth starter in the rotation and continue without missing a beat. If Manoah or Ryu ends up excelling and grabs a spot, Lugo can transition into the reliever role in which he has performed admirably in his previous five years and help strengthen the back end of the bullpen. So Lugo provides the flexibility for the Jays to adjust their roster to be at its best state as possible, while at the same time, it probably won’t cost the Jays a lot to acquire Lugo, leaving them with valuable assets to address another need at the deadline