The Blue Jays may spend the next few days fielding calls on Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, George Springer, Tyler Rogers, and even lights-out Louis Varland. The real question isn’t just who Toronto moves. It’s what comes back.
And the answer is staring them right in the face: power.
Toronto sits dead last in the Majors in slugging percentage at .407 and is tied for 26th with 105 home runs. That’s a brutal place to be for a team whose offense has too often looked stuck in neutral.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the club’s expected main source of thump, has as many home runs this season at the Rogers Centre as Homer Simpson. That number is zero.
Earlier this week, Rays speedster Chandler Simpson - who hasn’t hit a home run in more than 800 Major League plate appearances - even had a higher slugging percentage than Vladdy.
Guerrero Jr. has since nudged ahead of Simpson, .357 to .355, but the gap is hardly the kind of thing that changes the conversation. And the long-term picture doesn’t offer much comfort either.
Sean Keys has shown pop in the minors, but he struggled in his short time in Toronto and would need time to adjust next year, assuming there is a season next year. Arjun Nimmala and JoJo Parker both have some power upside, but neither looks ready to help the Blue Jays in that department until 2028 or 2029.
Right now, the only Blue Jays in double figures in home runs are Kazuma Okamoto, with 24, and George Springer, with 12. The Big Oak will be with Toronto next year. Springer probably won’t be, whether that means next year or next week.
After that, Brandon Valenzuela and Ernie Clement are next with eight, followed by Varsho, Andres Gimenez, and the injured Jesus Sanchez with seven. Strip away Springer and Varsho, and Guerrero Jr. would be the only Blue Jay to have reached 20 homers in a season during his career, aside from Addison Barger, who hit 21 last year but has played only nine games this season because of multiple injuries.
So if Toronto is shopping for offense, where does it look? The outfield is the obvious place.
The infield is mostly spoken for with Guerrero Jr., Clement, Gimenez, and Okamoto, while Kirk and Valenzuela look set to remain the catching pair. Without Varsho, the outfield has been a patchwork of Sanchez, Myles Straw, Yohendrick Piñango, Nathan Lukes, and Davis Schneider.
There also aren’t any obvious free-agent fixes coming this offseason who profile as ready-made middle-of-the-order bats. That pushes the Blue Jays toward a different kind of target: blocked sluggers on buying teams, players with power who just aren’t getting regular Major League run.
One example is Tibbs III, who was part of the Red Sox’s return for Rafael Devers before the Dodgers acquired him for Dustin May at last year’s deadline. He’s put together a strong season and has reached Triple-A, but Los Angeles has a jam in the outfield at both the Major League and Minor League levels. Top prospects such as Josue DePaula, Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero, and Zyhir Hope probably aren’t going anywhere for a Blue Jay unless it’s perhaps Varland, but Tibbs III could be in play if Toronto dangles Tyler Rogers and the Dodgers want relief help.
Another Dodgers bat to keep in mind is Ryan Ward, who is 28 and has topped 30 home runs in both 2024 and 2025 with Oklahoma City. He also slugged .455 in 55 at-bats with the Dodgers this season.
The Cubs have been linked to Gausman, even after he was hit hard in an appearance earlier this summer, and they have their own outfield congestion with Ian Happ, PCA, Seiya Suzuki, and even Michael Conforto. Alcantara has struggled in limited Cubs at-bats, but he was slugging .561 with 17 home runs for Triple-A Iowa.
Then there’s Isaac, the hulking 6-foot-3 bat who was a Top 100 prospect before life-saving brain surgery in 2025. He also dealt with elbow and wrist injuries, but the Rays’ 16th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline has bounced back to hit 16 home runs at Double-A Montgomery in a pitcher-friendly league. Isaac isn’t an outfielder, but he could fit at DH and is blocked by Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda in Tampa Bay, a club that might have interest in Varsho as a center fielder.
The Braves, Phillies, Brewers, and Astros could all make sense as trade partners for Toronto’s top chips. The names may change, and the fits may take time to sort out. But the Blue Jays’ ask should stay the same: if they’re moving talent, they need someone who can send the ball out of the Rogers Centre.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Trade Deadline Focus For 2027 Just Became Clear
The Blue Jays are already looking past the next trade deadline and, more specifically, toward what their rotation might need in 2027. With limited obvious pieces to move and only a couple of arms currently viewed as clear Opening Day locks for next year, Torontos best path may be to use the market to add controllable pitching rather than chase a short-term fix. That has put a few familiar names in the conversation, including Emerson Hancock in Seattle, a starter who would fit the age and control window the Blue Jays are trying to build around.
The challenge is finding a deal that matches both the Jays needs and what those clubs want back. The Mariners are said to be looking for win-now help, especially relief support and a right-handed bat, while the Angels are seeking young position-player talent in exchange for controllable starting pitching. For Toronto, the appeal is clear: if the front office can line up the right kind of return, the deadline could become less about patching holes and more about shaping the next version of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Have Several Familiar Names In Trade Danger
With the trade deadline approaching, the Blue Jays are in the kind of position that turns every veteran on the roster into a possible conversation piece. Torontos 49-59 record has pushed the club toward seller territory, and that has put a spotlight on players whose value is tied not just to what they have done this season, but to their contracts, their track records and how other teams view them in a market that is always short on proven help.
For the Blue Jays, the real tension is not whether rival clubs are calling. It is how many familiar names could end up in those discussions before the deadline passes. Some of Torontos most recognizable players are drawing attention, and while no deals have been confirmed, the possibility of a reshaped roster is very much in play as the front office weighs present value against what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays May Be Closing In On A Familiar Deadline Deal
With the trade deadline approaching, the Blue Jays are looking more and more like sellers after a disappointing season has left them in an uncomfortable spot. Toronto has not announced any moves yet, but the front office is clearly entering a stretch where roster decisions could come quickly, and the next few days may shape how the club approaches the rest of the year.
Ross Atkins could be very busy between now and Mondays deadline as the Blue Jays weigh which pieces make sense to move and which ones still fit into the long-term picture. There is already reporting that another contender is circling, which only adds to the sense that Torontos deadline could turn from quiet to active in a hurry, even if the first domino has not fallen yet. [Read more 🡒]