While the MLB trade deadline remains months away at this point in the season, teams from around the league are beginning to get an idea of whether they will be buying or selling by the time Aug. 3 rolls around on the calendar.
Despite a plethora of injuries that have led to a lacklustre start in 2026, the Toronto Blue Jays (29-31) are still right in the mix of a crowded American League wild card picture and appear to be in a spot where they could look to add to their roster to help with the playoff push later on in the summer.
Prior to their run to the World Series last year, the Blue Jays added names such as Louis Varland, Shane Bieber, and Seranthony Dominguez, players who all featured heavily for Toronto during their chase for the AL East and the postseason last fall.
This time around, one name already being linked to Toronto in the early part of the year is Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who is set for a record-breaking free agent contract heading into next season.
While currently on the injured list following a cleanup to remove loose bodies from his elbow, Skubal is back throwing in simulated games and could be back on a big league mound as soon as early July, making for an intriguing option for teams looking for a boost in the playoff race.
A potential deal for Skubal would represent one of the biggest trade acquisitions in franchise history, and would immediately place the Blue Jays among the favourites to win the American League with a rotation that already includes Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, and 2025 postseason hero Trey Yesavage.
But would Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins, and the rest of the Blue Jays brass be prepared to part ways with the significant prospect capital needed to reel in a big fish like Skubal?
ESPN’s Buster Olney joined TSN1050 radio on Tuesday morning to discuss how the Blue Jays could approach the trade deadline, and if Skubal could be in play for the reigning AL champions.
“A good primer for how Mark Shapiro, the teams that he’s led, handles the trade deadline, we can relate back to when he first took over the team,” Olney said. [Former general manager] Alex Anthopoulos was aggressive in trying to make the playoffs and he traded for the likes of David Price, and Mark wasn’t a fan of that. That wasn’t his favourite thing to do.
“When Skubal’s name first came up a couple weeks ago and the Blue Jays were one of the teams mentioned for him, I’m like, that’s not really Mark’s style. I think that they’ll do more, sort of, adding around the edges. I don’t think they’ll get the best starting pitcher, but depending on their injury situation, maybe they’ll get one of the starting pitchers that will be available… you’re going to get somebody decent, I just don’t think the Blue Jays will absolutely go bonkers.”
Olney mentioned names such as Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets, 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, and Minnesota Twins righty Joe Ryan as potential targets that could make up the starting pitcher market behind Skubal leading up to the deadline.
Another area the Blue Jays could look to supplement via the trade market is the bullpen, where the team’s highest-leveraged arms have been relied on far too often during the first two months of the season.
Mason Fluharty leads all of baseball with 31 relief appearances, Braydon Fisher is tied for second with 30, while Tyler Rogers, Jeff Hoffman, and Varland all rank in sixth with 28 games pitched.
With a number of injuries both in the rotation and the bullpen, Toronto has had to depend on those four relievers to carry the load while trying to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rays (36-21) and New York Yankees (36-23) in the AL East.
Despite the demanding workloads, the performances out of the bullpen have largely been positive, save for Jeff Hoffman who’s struggles have carried over from last season and were on full display this weekend against the Baltimore Orioles.
With Toronto leading 5-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth, Hoffman was called on to get the final three outs before being charged with three hits, two walks, and five earned runs in a third of an inning, sending the Blue Jays to a back-breaking loss that ended a four-game winning streak and dropped them back below the .500 mark on the year.
While the underlying numbers remain elite, the results have translated to a 6.31 earned run average and a 1.75 WHIP in 25.2 innings pitched on the year.
“Let’s face it, this is a situation where I think that if he wasn’t making the money that he’s making, they probably would have less patience,” Olney said of Hoffman’s struggles. “They would be more aggressive in making hard decisions on where he is. Typically when someone is making a good chunk of change the way that Jeff is, they are going to give him every last chance and they’re going to do everything they can for him to turn it around.
“We saw him have some success working in a middle relief role after he was first demoted from the closer role, maybe they go back to that. It’s a lot of money to eat if you let him go right now, especially with the volatility of relief pitching.”
Hoffman and the Blue Jays will look to get back on track following a day off on Monday as they begin a three-game set against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday night.
