Blue Jays: Trade market refresher, who is available at a cost the Jays can meet?

RHP Pablo López, Miami Marlins

Pablo López is going to command quite the return in a potential deal, one that Blue Jays fans may get a bit nervous at. There's no denying though, he is one of the best starting pitchers out there and ace-caliber pitchers don't come across the trade market all the time.

For reference, the Dodgers pursued López at the 2022 trade deadline and the ask was promising infielder Gavin Lux as well as three high-end prospects. When the Yankees called Miami, Gleyber Torres was the ask as well as high-end prospects of their own.

It's not that López isn't worth such a haul, because he just might be. In 32 starts for the Marlins last year, he went 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA and 108 ERA+. He has consistently been above the 100 ERA+ threshold over the past three seasons, meaning he is a well above-average pitcher. He does a solid job at limiting walks and strikes out a lot of batters.

Purely for speculation purposes, I'd think a package starting with Alejandro Kirk and Orelvis Martinez may get the Marlins' attention, but more pieces would need to be added.

RHP Liam Hendriks, Chicago White Sox

Wait, what? Yes, the White Sox are apparently willing to listen to trade offers for their star closer Liam Hendriks, who happens to be a former Blue Jay.

Hendriks, 33, has undergone a complete career makeover over the years. Starting off as a failed starting pitcher, he became a late-inning weapon and has most recently become one of the best closers in the game.

Last year, the Australian-born relief ace made his third career All-Star Game in a season that saw him make 58 appearances and earn 37 saves. His 2.81 ERA and 142 ERA+ were both significantly above-average and backed up his legitimacy as one of the best closers in the league.

The White Sox could certainly use a catcher, as Yasmani Grandal's offense and defense put together made him not only one of the worst backstops in the league, but one of the worst players period.

It's not a guarantee that the Blue Jays even deal a catcher. Up to this point, the media has fueled the fire on those talks a lot more than the Jays' front office has. However, if the club is serious on improving their offense (primarily in the outfield), one of these trade targets is a damn good place to start.