As the Toronto Blue Jays weigh their options ahead of the MLB trade deadline, the front office has a bigger decision to make than simply chasing the best return on Aug. 3.
This isn’t just about moving pieces for the sake of movement. It’s about figuring out which players are worth keeping around for the next chapter.
That’s why Shane Bieber and Daulton Varsho stand out as two names Toronto should think twice about dealing.
Bieber, in particular, looks like the kind of arm teams usually spend years trying to find. The former Cy Young winner arrived in Toronto at the 2025 trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and even though he wasn’t fully healthy, he still put together a 4-2 record with a 3.57 ERA. He also struck out nearly a batter per inning as he helped push the Blue Jays into the postseason.
He carried that momentum into October, where he went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 18.2 innings on Toronto’s run to the World Series. Considering where he was health-wise, it’s fair to wonder how much more he might have had in the tank.
This season didn’t start cleanly either. Bieber opened the year on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and needed time to get his timing back after missing almost three months. But his last two starts have looked a lot more like the version Toronto hoped it was getting, with Bieber going at least six innings in both outings and allowing just one earned run on six hits while piling up nine strikeouts across 13 innings.
Sure, a contender could still talk itself into making a run at him, and Toronto could certainly chase a prospect or two in return. But if the Blue Jays are planning to retool this offseason and get back on track, keeping Bieber and extending him makes more sense.
The injury history may actually work in Toronto’s favor, since it shouldn’t cost as much to lock him in now. And with Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage alongside him, the Blue Jays could have a legitimate top three in the rotation for years.
Varsho presents a different kind of case, but the argument is just as strong. When he’s right, he gives Toronto elite defense in center field every night, and that’s no small thing. The former Gold Glove winner has been a regular presence on Blue Jays highlight reels since arriving from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. trade.
The bat has been the question. In his first two seasons with Toronto, Varsho hit .220 or below while averaging 19 home runs and 60 RBIs. Then came last season, when injuries slowed him down but he still delivered his best offensive stretch yet, batting close to .240 with an .833 OPS, plus 20 home runs and 55 RBIs in 71 games.
His numbers have slipped again this year, but Toronto’s offense has been a mess across the board, with the exception of Kazuma Okamoto. Varsho still has the kind of upside that makes him worth holding onto, especially for a club that has had a hard time finding an impact outfielder who can change games on both sides of the ball.
Of course, extensions during the season are tricky. Teams do get them done, but more often than not, these conversations happen in the offseason.
That creates real risk for Toronto, because both Varsho and Bieber have never tested free agency. There’s always the temptation to find out what the market says.
And with the way this season has gone in Toronto, it’s not hard to imagine either player wanting a fresh start somewhere else.
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For Toronto, the appeal would be in the type of return, since rookie outfielder Justin Crawford is viewed as a high-upside piece with speed and room to grow. The catch is that moving a player with that kind of long-term value would mean giving up immediate big-league help, which is why the concept feels more like a deadline trial balloon than a deal with any real certainty behind it. [Read more 🡒]