Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s potential impact on the Blue Jays’ trade deadline plans, plus more
In the lead-up to the MLB trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays have some difficult questions to address.
With a record of 18–22 and a 3–7 record in their previous ten games, the Toronto Blue Jays have a challenging set of choices to make before the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
The Blue Jays might take a couple different routes because 17 players are set to become free agents in the next two offseasons.
They might remain silent and strive to prevail with the players they now have. To try to qualify for the postseason, they might purchase. However, selling seems like the most practical course of action. Mark Shapiro and the Blue Jays executive staff must decide how aggressively they would sell before the July 30 deadline.
Who might the Blue Jays of Toronto trade?
leading trade candidates for the Blue Jays are Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both players, who have displayed flashes of brilliance, are part of the young core that was intended to lead them in the long run. Guerrero had a rough start to the season, but over the past 14 days, he has a.992 OPS and is hitting.409/.469/.523. Bichette, on the other hand, has had a very difficult season to begin; in 37 games, he is batting a meager.203/.258/.294—just one year after he set a career high with an.814 OPS, 20 home runs, and 73 RBI.
Bichette and Guerrero Jr. will undoubtedly spark trade interest. However, it’s likely that the Blue Jays will hold onto both in an attempt to contend in 2025 before deciding whether to move or extend them.
Who will the Blue Jays deal with if they refuse to trade stars?
At least for the time being, trading players with expiring contracts seems to be the Blue Jays’ most likely course of action. A few of the players with contract expirations are Yimi Garcia, Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi, and Kevin Kiermaier.
32-year-old Kikuchi is expected to generate a lot of interest at the trade deadline. He has a 2.64 ERA in eight starts with 46 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched. After posting a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts last season, he can be a valuable asset to any competing team in need of reinforcements to their rotation.
With a.733 OPS and a one-year contract for $13 million, Turner, 39, is a seasoned leader and is hitting.250/.321/.411. Despite being one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, Kiermaier, 34, is only hitting.224/.278/.299 with a.576 OPS through 26 games this season. In 14 appearances this season out of the bullpen, Garcia, 33, has a 0.63 ERA and two saves.
The talk will change to the Blue Jays becoming buyers if they recover and are above $500 by July. However, as of right now, it looks like they’re going to sell, and they’ll be among the most interesting teams to follow in the upcoming months.
