8 players who are entering their last month with the Blue Jays

Yusei Kikuchi

It's been an up-and-down season for Kikuchi, but the fact remains that there are a lot of teams looking for starting pitching. The Brewers and Guardians are two playoff hopefuls that need starters in the worst way, for example.

Kikuchi, 33, has made 18 starts so far in 2024 and he has surrendered four or more earned runs in six times, including four of his last seven outings. He, like Bassitt, has been a decent innings eater who never gets hurt, so teams will look for that reliability when assessing trade targets at the deadline.

The turnaround for Kikuchi has been great, as he was one of the worst starters in baseball in 2022. Last year, he rebounded with an 11-6 record, 3.86 ERA and 111 ERA+ in a full year of 32 starts. This year, he's got a 4.12 ERA with a lower ERA+ but also a lower FIP. He continues to be right around league-average while lowering his walk rate a bit, too.

Again, the left-hander is a rental piece whose main ability is durability. He's not putting up numbers that will blow you away, but he's going to be a sought after piece at the deadline for sure.