The last time a Blue Jays general manager approached the trade deadline with his job in jeopardy, it resulted in a flurry of moves that completely transformed the roster.
Will history repeat itself? We’ll find out before the end of the month.
Former GM Alex Anthopoulos knew he was running out of time when he made a franchise-altering splash in July 2015. His boss, team president Paul Beeston, was about to be replaced by Mark Shapiro and Anthopoulos saw the writing on the wall.
Instead of going away quietly, Anthopoulos went all in. He acquired Troy Tulowitzki in a deal with the Colorado Rockies and landed ace David Price from the Detroit Tigers. He also added relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Mark Lowe, along with outfielder Ben Revere.
Almost overnight, a team that had consistently hovered around .500 became a legitimate contender. The Jays went 40-18 from Aug. 1 on and finished first in their division. A victory over the Texas Rangers in the AL division series followed before the Jays were eliminated by the soon-to-be World Series champion Kansas City Royals.
Here’s a closer look at some of the players who could find themselves in the three-week rumour mill.
Here’s a closer look at some of the players who could find themselves in the three-week rumour mill.
The fallout from that deadline was well documented in the years that followed. Shapiro wasn’t pleased that Anthopoulos emptied the minor-league cupboards and he reportedly scolded the Montreal native for doing it. It was only after the Jays’ run to the ALCS that owner Edward Rogers tried to negotiate a truce by offering Anthopoulos a new contract, which was declined.
Shapiro and his hand-picked GM, Ross Atkins, now find themselves in a somewhat similar position. The Jays president’s contract is believed to expire later this year while Atkins has one additional season remaining. If these two ever intend on throwing caution aside, this would be the year to do it.
The decision Shapiro and Atkins must make is how deep they want to cut into their prospect base. If they’re craving a big move, it would likely require parting ways with a top prospect like Arjun Nimmala or Trey Yesavage. Put those two in an offer and the Jays should be able to compete for anyone. Keep them out and their options become more limited.
It should be noted there are differences between 2015 and today, too. Ten years ago, the Jays were sitting in fourth place, eight games back of the first-place New York Yankees, when Tulowitzki made his debut. This current roster entered Friday already sitting in first, two games up on those same Yankees.
So while Anthopoulos was operating on borrowed time, this executive team might have already done enough to receive another mandate. That creates less desperation, but then again this regime has yet to win a playoff game and another early exit — or worse, a late-season collapse — would renew calls for change.
That makes the next couple weeks an interesting time in Jaysland. This team has the option of shopping at the top end of the market, or it could hang on to its top prospects and focus on more affordable tweaks. Whichever route they choose will impact not only this season but the future trajectory of the organization.
Rumour du jour
A front-line starter like Seth Lugo could be a possibility, or a power-hitting third baseman like Eugenio Suárez.
A front-line starter like Seth Lugo could be a possibility, or a power-hitting third baseman like Eugenio Suárez.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan is one of the most informative and accurate national baseball writers out there, so this isn’t intended as a shot, but his latest trade proposal involving ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ doesn’t make much sense to me. Passan recently listed .
The premise is logical enough. Keller is under club control through 2028, so he would not only contribute this year but he would be around long after deals expire for Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. It would serve a similar purpose to the one the Jays employed in 2021 when they acquired José BerrÃos in 2021 with a season-and-a-half remaining on his deal.
The issue is the cost. Passan rightly pointed out it would take a lot to acquire Keller. It would but would also need to include multiple other prospects. While Keller is a solid mid-rotation piece, I’m not convinced he’s a difference maker. The Jays have a staff filled with similar arms; what they need is an ace and that’s not what the 29-year-old Keller and his 4.45 career ERA represent.
The ideal fits
If a front-line starter with multiple years of control — like Minnesota’s Joe Ryan — isn’t available, the pitcher the Jays should target is Kansas City’s Seth Lugo. He’s not a prototypical No. 1 starter, but the crafty veteran has pitched like one with a 2.90 ERA since joining the Royals in 2024. Lugo should cost much less than Keller because he is all but guaranteed to become a free agent at the end of the season by declining his player option.
The other dream fit is Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Acquiring Suarez and his 29 homers would inject more power into the lineup and allow the Jays to go with an outfield of Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho (when he returns from injury) and George Springer, with Anthony Santander eventually taking over as DH. Equally important, it would keep Suarez away from the Yankees, who are also shopping for a third baseman.
Neither guy would solve anything for future seasons but it would give the Jays a strong shot in 2025. Considering the lack of recent playoff success, that must count for something.
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