The Blue Jays have put themselves in an excellent position ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline to buy literally whoever they want. One issue that lingers about buying is who they will sell. Toronto has dealt with a ton of injuries this season and younger, depth pieces have had to step up and they have do so. Due to their productiveness, they won't have a spot when players begin to get healthy, so they may be considered trade pieces.
Joey Loperfido seems like a top candidate to be traded, given the lack of a spot for him and his hot start since a promotion. A secondary option that has emerged as a reasonable piece that completely turned his season around has been Will Wagner.
Will Wagner's recent turnaround may help the Blue Jays in a trade this deadline.
To begin the season, Wagner was given an everyday job and that was completely reasonable, given his efforts to conclude 2024. Wagner got off to a very cold start to begin 2025, leading to a demotion. Following some injuries, Toronto decided to give him another chance at the big league level. He has completely turned things around and is looking like a legitimate depth piece off the bench. Or maybe a trade chip to land an even better piece...
In July, Wagner is batting .333 with a .974 OPS and an 18% strikeout rate. He has also belted five doubles and four RBI. Thanks to this, his wRC+ has climbed to 91 on the season and he no longer has a negative fWAR.
Once Andres Gimenez and Daulton Varsho return, there may not be a clear spot for Wagner. So this gives the Blue Jays a valuable trade chip to work with if they cannot find a spot for him. With his strong stint in 2024 and his resurgence in July, Wagner totally has value to work with too.
A team like the Pirates, who could help Toronto with Mitch Keller, David Bednar, or Dennis Santana, want nothing less than players that can help them improve their league worst offense. That is their ultimate goal this deadline and with players like Loperfido, Wagner, and possibly other high upside prospects, a deal could definitely work out with them. It could even be a win-win for both organizations.
