The Blue Jays could package stars at the deadline to maximize return

After an exciting series win over the Seattle Mariners, the Blue Jays still sit eight games below .500, with a record of 41-49, and they have their work cut out for them the remainder of the month if they want to keep this current roster together.

Should the Blue Jays decide to sell come July 31st, it may be a smart move to package stars together to maximize any potential return.

Players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman, and Yusei Kikuchi are all names that have been involved in trade rumours for majority of the season thus far.

One team that seems to come up quite often as a potential trade partner for Toronto is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers currently sit atop the National League West standings with a record of 55-36, 7.5 games ahead of the second place Padres, meaning they are likely to be heavy buyers come the deadline.

According to MLB writer and reporter Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers are in the market for a starting pitcher with their current rotation quite banged up. Offseason signee Yoshinobu Yamamoto and right hander Walker Buehler are both on the injured list at the moment while Clayton Kershaw is still rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery. White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet is a name Rosenthal referred to as "ideal" for the Dodgers, but LA would likely have to pay a premium for a guy who has two years left on his current deal.

It has also been reported that the Dodgers are in the market for an outfielder that could bat seventh for them once their lineup is fully healthy. Someone like Kevin Keirmaier could make sense for LA.

From the Blue Jays perspective, the Dodgers do have an intriguing prospect pool, with MLB.com ranking them as the eighth best farm system in baseball with two top 100 prospects to their name.

A package like Kiermaier and Gausman or Bichette and Bassitt in exchange for some prospects is one that could make sense for both parties involved. With the Dodgers needing help in multiple different spots, a desperate move could see them try to make an aggressive move for a few players from the Jays and Toronto could immensely benefit from their aggression.

Speculatively speaking, one of the Dodgers top catching prospects like Dalton Rushing could be especially of interest, as he has some thump in his bat and could replace Danny Jansen when he departs via free agency at the conclusion of this season.

With the Blue Jays off today and starting a three game set against the Giants tomorrow in San Francisco, Toronto has almost three weeks to show their front office they deserve to remain together past the trade deadline.