Assessing the Blue Jays' flurry of moves at trade deadline
For the first time in five years, the Toronto Blue Jays were active sellers at the trade deadline. It's been one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory, leading general manager Ross Atkins to move out a handful of contributors in an effort to replenish a farm system that ranked in the bottom third of the league on most lists heading into the campaign.
We ranked the value the Blue Jays are getting back in each trade on a scale of one to five hot dogs in honor of "Loonie Dog Night," one of the few things fans have looked forward to at every Tuesday home game.
Justin Turner ➡️ Mariners
What the Blue Jays lost: Turner was signed in the offseason to bring a veteran presence to the clubhouse. The 39-year-old looked the part early in the season, hitting .298 with an .887 OPS in March and April. The bottom fell out in May, as Turner had just eight hits in 81 at-bats with a .349 OPS. He's rebounded since then, finishing his brief stay with a 109 wRC+ in 87 games. Turner's Blue Jays tenure will probably make for a fun piece of bar trivia in a few years. Other than that, it was utterly forgettable.
Why fans should fans be excited: The Blue Jays' farm system needs more lottery tickets in the hope that some can become impactful major leaguers. Schreck hit 12 home runs with an .865 OPS in 71 games at Single-A before he was promoted to Double-A. Schreck immediately cracked MLB Pipeline's top 30 Blue Jays prospects at No. 27. He has good plate discipline, which could eventually allow him to carve out a role in the majors.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭🌭🌭
Danny Jansen ➡️ Red Sox
What the Blue Jays lost: In less than two years, two-thirds of the Blue Jays' catching depth is gone. First, Atkins traded Gabriel Moreno to Arizona in the Daulton Varsho deal, and now, Jansen has been sent to an AL East rival. Jansen struggled over the past few months after a hot start to the season and comes with a well-documented injury history. Still, Jansen provides good pop and pulls the ball more than half the time, a trait that should be tailor-made for the Green Monster in left field at Fenway Park.
Jansen was one of the more popular Blue Jays players among teammates and fans and was emotional after the deal as the franchise's longest-tenured player. Suddenly, catcher is a real question mark for the club moving forward as Alejandro Kirk struggles for a second straight year.
Why fans should be excited: It's never easy to see a fan favorite shipped out of town. Jansen embraced everything about being a Blue Jay, and fans gravitated toward him. It'll be hard to replace him in a myriad of ways.
Coffey, a second-round pick in 2022, has 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .784 OPS in 61 games at High-A this season. The 20-year-old appeared at second base, shortstop, and third base.
Baseball America ranked Paulino as the No. 18 prospect for the Red Sox. The 22-year-old hit .263 with three home runs, 35 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases at Double-A.
Batista, 19, posted a 3.92 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts across 20 2/3 innings at Single-A.
Getting three prospects for a rental catcher in a down offensive season is still a decent piece of business, even if it's a trade a lot of Blue Jays fans hoped wouldn't happen.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭🌭🌭
Yusei Kikuchi ➡️ Astros
What the Blue Jays lost: Kikuchi became something of a cult hero in Toronto. The Japan native made the city his offseason home, training in the winter and immersing himself in the Toronto scene. The 33-year-old put together a strong 2023 campaign, posting a 3.86 ERA with 181 strikeouts after struggling mightily in his first season with the Blue Jays. Kikuchi appeared to be building off that success in the early part of 2024, emerging as arguably the club's most dynamic starting pitcher. He was sensational in April, racking up 32 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA. Kikuchi pitched to a 3.62 ERA in May but has seen things unravel since the beginning of June. He has an ERA over six since June 1 and surrendered five runs on eight hits in his final start before the deadline.
The Astros are looking to make an eighth consecutive ALCS appearance but have been decimated by injuries to the rotation. This still seems like an awfully steep price to pay for a struggling rental pitcher, even if he comes with a high ceiling.
Why fans should be excited: The Astros' farm system doesn't grade out favorably, but this is still a pretty shocking package for the Blue Jays to get back. Bloss was Houston's No. 2 prospect, according to Baseball America, while Loperfido came in at No. 5. Wagner also cracked the top 20 at No. 19. Bloss made his MLB debut this season and gives the Blue Jays another young arm to try and develop to help stem the tide after Ricky Tiedemann underwent Tommy John surgery.
Loperfido can play first base and has seen time at all three outfield spots since making his MLB debut earlier this season. The 25-year-old has some swing and miss in his offensive profile but can hit for power and provide a bit of speed on the bases. It's not a stretch to see him making a legitimate contribution to the Blue Jays as soon as 2025. Loperfido will likely be given some runway down the stretch this year to try and build momentum into the offseason.
Wagner, the son of former All-Star closer Billy Wagner, also looks ready for a big-league opportunity. The 26-year-old has hit throughout his minor-league career, posting a .337 average last year and is over .300 at Triple-A this season. Wagner has some defensive versatility, seeing time at first, second, and third base in 2024.
This is an absolute slam dunk of a trade for Atkins and the Blue Jays.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭
Yimi García ➡️ Mariners
What the Blue Jays lost: García was an excellent signing. The right-hander registered a 3.44 ERA with a 10.3 K/9 in 163 appearances over parts of three campaigns with the Blue Jays. The 33-year-old was particularly dominant this season with 42 strikeouts against just eight walks in 30 innings.
Many looked at what the Los Angeles Angels were able to get from the Philadelphia Phillies for closer Carlos Estévez and questioned if the Blue Jays secured enough for García, another impending free agent. Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski's aggressiveness with a championship-caliber roster should be taken into consideration. He identifies a need and addresses it, sometimes for a surprisingly high price. Perhaps Atkins and the Blue Jays could've landed more, but this isn't a terrible trade.
Why fans should be excited: Clase is an absolute blur on the basepaths. The 22-year-old swiped 79 bases and hit 20 homers across two minor-league levels in 2023. There's legitimate concern about Clase's hit tool and if he can get on base enough to fully utilize his game-changing speed. The Blue Jays are betting they can unlock enough out of his bat to see him become a consistent major-league contributor.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭🌭🌭
Nate Pearson ➡️ Cubs
What the Blue Jays lost: Pearson is a cautionary tale for anyone who resists the urge to trade a top prospect when their value is at its highest. The right-hander was Toronto's top prospect in 2020 and had a ton of hype as the next great homegrown arm. Fast-forward four years and Pearson made just five starts before transitioning to a relief role. He finishes his Blue Jays tenure with a 5.23 ERA, 10.08 K/9, and minus-0.4 fWAR in 94 appearances (117 innings).
Why fans should be excited: Neither Pinango nor Rivera are highly touted prospects, but both cracked Toronto's top-30 list after the deal. Pinango will become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter, meaning the Blue Jays will have to add him to the 40-man roster in November or risk losing him to another club. It's hard to be enthused with what Pearson was ultimately moved for, but it's a fitting end to his Blue Jays tenure.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭
Trevor Richards ➡️ Twins
What the Blue Jays lost: Richards became something of a punching bag for fans during his stint with the Blue Jays. The right-hander often excelled in lower-leverage situations and would run into problems when he was under the microscope in high-leverage spots. Richards allowed a .490 OPS in low-leverage situations this season, but that jumped to .819 in high leverage.
Richards did come up big a number of times throughout the years as a swingman when the Blue Jays needed some length out of the bullpen, even starting games in 2023. The 31-year-old came to Toronto with Bowden Francis in a trade for Rowdy Tellez in 2021. Considering Tellez is no longer with the Brewers, it's hard to look at that trade as anything other than a win for the Blue Jays. Richards' ability to generate whiffs with his changeup will allow him to keep a job. However, Twins fans should cross their fingers and hope he's only used when the game isn't on the line.
Why fans should be excited: Jays fans can be excited at the prospect of not seeing Richards' fastball get taken out of the park for backbreaking home runs. Richards allowed a .464 slugging percentage off his fastball this season, after permitting a .482 slug last year. He finishes his Blue Jays tenure having allowed 1.5 HR/9. It's hard to see how the team is any worse without Richards in the bullpen.
Harry wasn't on Baseball America's midseason top 30 for the Twins and has struggled at High-A, slashing .214/.306/.349 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in 82 games. It'd be a surprise if he made any meaningful MLB contribution.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭
Isiah Kiner-Falefa ➡️ Pirates
What the Blue Jays lost: Kiner-Falefa exceeded expectations both at the plate and in the field during his brief stint in Toronto. The versatile former New York Yankee posted career-best marks in wRC+ (116), batting average (.292), and slugging % (.420) in 83 games before sustaining a knee injury. Those stats are especially eye-popping since Kiner-Falefa has never been a league-average offensive player, owning an 85 wRC+ across parts of seven MLB campaigns. The 29-year-old is under contract for $7.5 million next season and the Blue Jays likely felt now was the right time to maximize the trade return.
Why fans should be excited: Charles McAdoo appears to be on the rise. The 22-year-old started the season as Pittsburgh's No. 29 prospect but is expected to rise into the top 15, according to MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo. McAdoo has been excellent across two minor-league levels in 2024, hitting 14 home runs with 63 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and a .976 OPS. He did a lot of damage at Single-A, but he's more than held his own at Double-A, posting an .837 OPS with 12 extra-base hits in 27 games. To be able to land a legitimate prospect for a player performing well above his normal production is a tidy piece of business.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭🌭🌭🌭
Kevin Kiermaier ➡️ Dodgers
What the Blue Jays lost: Kiermaier spent years tormenting Blue Jays fans with clutch hits and incredible defensive plays as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, but he quickly endeared himself to Canada and the city of Toronto after signing in 2023. The veteran put together an excellent campaign and was brought back on a one-year, $10.5-million deal. Things didn't go well in 2024, as Kiermaier slumped to a .195 average with a .546 OPS. The 34-year-old recently announced that 2024 will be the final season of his career, so it's fitting he's getting an opportunity to chase his first World Series title with the Dodgers. Blue Jays fans will certainly be pulling for him.
Why fans should be excited: Ryan Yarbrough also spent years tormenting Blue Jays hitters and fans with the Rays, posting a 9-3 record with a 3.52 ERA in 23 appearances against Toronto. The 32-year-old enjoyed a strong campaign with the Dodgers, pitching to a 3.74 ERA in 32 appearances. He should settle into the hole left by Richards' departure and could enjoy a few spot starts as well. It'll take some getting used to seeing Yarbrough pitching for the Blue Jays instead of somehow carving them up with a fastball under 90 mph.
Value to the Blue Jays: 🌭🌭