5 trade deadline deals that could push Blue Jays back into contention for 2024

Jays need a strong lefty to anchor their bullpen in Tanner Scott

Entering 2024, the Jays fully expected to have two reliable relievers in Tim Mayza and Genésis Cabrera as their main lefty specialists out of the bullpen at their disposal. After all, Mayza was coming off his best ever MLB season of his career in 2023 sporting an impressive 1.52 ERA, while Cabrera was perhaps one of the best Jays’ relievers down the stretch after coming over from the Cardinals at the trade deadline. However, Cabrera has struggled for much of 2024 despite being a bit better of late, whereas Mayza’s season ended up being so bad that he has since been designated for assignment and ultimately released from the team.

As a result, the Jays should find a reliable, trusted lefty to help round out their battered bullpen. The ideal candidate would be Tanner Scott of the Miami Marlins. As the Marlins’ closer this season, Scott had been exceptional, sporting a 6-5 record with a tidy 1.42 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, giving up only 6 earned runs on 18 hits over 38 innings of work in 37 appearances. With a high-90s fastball mixed in with a devastating slider that works essentially like a changeup at almost 10 mph less, he has baffled many MLB hitters in 2024 at ease.

The Jays desperately need such a lefty in their bullpen to help neutralize some of the matchups appearing late in games. As an added bonus, with Scott’s experience in the closer’s role during the past few seasons with the Marlins, he could essentially play the role of what Erik Swanson did in 2023 with the Jays. That would be serving potentially as either the setup man or the closer for the team depending on the game situation as it presents itself. Therefore, the multi-use flexibility would surely make Scott an invaluable asset for the club down the stretch run.