Ranking top Blue Jays trade chips by how likely they are to be dealt at the deadline

As we head towards the MLB trade deadline in a little over a week’s time, the Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to retool their roster to help them become competitive once again in the not-so-distant future. As a result, they will likely be offloading a bunch of players to replenish the organization with valuable assets that they can use down the road.

With that in mind, who are the Blue Jays’ top trade chips? So for every top Jays player being made available, we will rank them based on the likelihood that they will be dealt by the trade deadline.

10. Bo Bichette

For one of the key faces of the franchise, Bo Bichette has had quite the underwhelming season to say the least. After consistently putting up 20+ home runs and 70+ RBI seasons while batting close to .300 for each of the past three years for the Jays, Bichette has struggled mightily to a .223 average, .597 OPS with just 4 home runs and 30 RBI in 79 games played so far in 2024. Whether it be a hidden injury, a mental block, or just plain regression in his game, nobody knows what had been ailing his play.

Despite his struggles though, he previously expressed that he wouldn’t be surprised at all if he was still moved by the trade deadline. However, it would not be a wise move for the Jays to move a player of Bichette’s calibre when his value might be at his absolute lowest. Added to the fact that he has now landed once again on the IL with his recurring calf issue and expected to miss multiple weeks, it could essentially put an end to any potential trade talks. So even with all the hot rumors in recent weeks, it looks like Bichette will be staying put, for now.

7. Trevor Richards

For Trevor Richards, he had been a vital part of the Jays’ bullpen the past few seasons. That was because despite some of his on-and-off struggles, he was always willing to play the role that the manager put him in. Whether it be filling in as an opener, a middle innings eater, or even closing out games, Richards never backed down from the challenge. He managed to accomplish all that while maintaining a respectable ERA and high strikeout rate, so what more can a team ask for.

However, Richards has gone cold at the worst possible time, occurring at the most inopportune moment right before the trade deadline. In his past seven appearances, he has posted a 1-2 record with a horrific 14.85 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, giving up 11 earned runs on 12 hits in just 6.2 innings pitched. More worrisome was the fact that he has failed to keep his opponents off the scoreboard for six of his past seven outings. For a contending team looking to stabilize their relief corps for the stretch run, this disastrous stretch for Richards may be enough to turn many of them away. But for someone that has averaged close to a 30% strikeout rate in each of his past three seasons, a prospective team that still highly regards his strikeout ability and flexibility may end up taking a flyer on him.

6. Chris Bassitt

As one of the best innings-eater on the team, Chris Bassitt has delivered that and more in his current tenure with the Jays. After leading the rotation in wins (16), starts (33) and innings pitched (200) last season, Bassitt had been one of the more reliable starters for the Jays in 2024 following a slow start to the season. Over 20 games played, he is tied for the team lead in wins with eight and lead all Jays’ starters in ERA with a 3.71 mark. He has also struck out 106 batters in 114 innings pitched while posting nine quality starts in the process.

With his ability to pitch late into games, as well as minimizing damage at the same time, Bassitt should be a prime target for teams aiming for a veteran middle-of-the-rotation starter. Both the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox have been tied to the Jays starter in trade talks. With teams openly starting to compete for his services, it will only be a matter of time before Bassitt will be scooped up by a legitimate contender to boost their starting five for the stretch run.

5. Kevin Kiermaier

When the Jays re-signed Kiermaier to a one-year contract for the 2024 season, many were expecting more of the same of what he brought to the team last year. That would be some solid run production at the bottom of the lineup, along with elite defense in the outfield. Well, Kiermaier has held his end of the bargain with his stellar defense alright, but from an offensive standpoint, he has surely fallen off a cliff so far this season.

For 2024, Kiermaier has batted a measly .195 with a .553 OPS, along with 23 runs scored, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 18 RBI, 5 stolen bases, 10 walks and 64 strikeouts in 75 games played. He was even placed on revocable waivers earlier in the month, but with no takers. He could still turn out to be a valuable bench piece for a team looking for a strong defender and pinch-runner near the end of ballgames. But his days as an everyday outfielder could be coming to an end if he is eventually moved from the Jays’ squad.

4. Chad Green

Chad Green has been one of the rare reliable arms on the team in 2024. Having exercised the two-year option on Green this past offseason, he had been everything the Jays had hoped for when they first signed the veteran reliever. In 27 appearances to date, Green has compiled a 2-2 record while going a perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities, along with 6 holds, a 2.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 9 walks and 24 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched.

He would look great in stabilizing the relief corps of any contender with his consistency in performing well in high leverage situations. In addition, MLB insider Joel Sherman has previously suggested the idea of Green being an ideal trade candidate for the New York Mets to upgrade their relief corps. Therefore, as great as Green has looked in a Jays’ uniform, he may no longer be donning the jersey for long if he keeps performing the way that he has all season.

3. Yimi García

Despite the miserable season that the Jays’ bullpen had been enduring this year, Yimi García had been perhaps the most trusted reliever to date. Through the middle of May, he was actually one of the best relievers in the entire league, posting a minuscule 0.47 ERA, .082 opponents batting average, 0.58 WHIP, while registering 2 saves, 8 holds, along with 24 strikeouts in 19 innings of work. He eventually fell back to earth a bit prior to his elbow injury that landed him on the IL in mid-June, but perhaps it had something to do with his regression in performance in that regard.

García was one of the recently rumoured Jays’ players put on the trade block by the team. Despite not having any immediate news as of yet on prospective teams interested in his services, he will likely garner some attention in contenders looking for a boost to their bullpen heading into the postseason. As a result, there is a good possibility that he will find a new home in the coming week or two, barring that he remains healthy after being reinstated from the IL just recently.

2. Danny Jansen

One of the more attractive trade pieces that the Jays currently own, Danny Jansen could provide a significant boost at the catching position to any legitimate contender down the stretch. After all, when healthy, Jansen can be one of the more productive catchers in the league. He may be struggling a little this season, but just last year, he posted strong numbers across the board with career highs in doubles (15), home runs (17) and RBI (53) in just 86 games of action. At the same time, he is tremendous at game-calling and has posted a stellar .993 career fielding percentage defensively.

Jansen should be a hot commodity come the trade deadline, as a catcher is generally viewed as one of the weaker offensive positions in baseball. Recent rumors already have it that the Chicago Cubs have expressed interest in acquiring the services of the 29-year-old. He has also been named one of the top trade targets in a recent article by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. With his ability to make a difference with his bat, all while holding his own with his defense, Jansen will be good as gone by the time the trade deadline rolls around.

1. Yusei Kikuchi

For Yusei Kikuchi, he has certainly become a solid back end of the rotation starter for the Jays since his disappointing first season with the club in 2022. Last year, he managed to bounce back by putting up his best numbers of his MLB career when he went 11-6 with a stellar 3.86 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, along with registering 181 strikeouts in just 167.2 innings pitched. 

This season, Kikuchi had been one of the few bright spots on a middling Jays’ team until running into a mini slump this past month. Nevertheless, he still sported a respectable 4.54 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP, together with 125 strikeouts in 111 innings of work in 21 starts. With his ability to get major league hitters out, along with a high strikeout rate of greater than 25%, he would be a solid addition to any team looking to shore up their back end of the rotation heading into the stretch run. More importantly, MLB insider Bob Nightengale predicted that Kikuchi could potentially bring the Jays their biggest return at the deadline, making him a trade chip that the team will for sure use by the end of the month.