The Blue Jays are still hanging around the playoff picture on paper, but the numbers keep telling a harsher story. Toronto has one hitter with double-digit home runs, and in July only two qualified bats have posted a wRC+ above 100. That’s not the profile of a club built to chase anyone down.
And yet, the trade deadline decision sitting in front of them is messy. The Blue Jays clearly need offense, with a power bat near the top of the shopping list. But with Aug. 3 approaching and no obvious sign that other teams are eager to deal, Toronto is stuck weighing two very different paths: try to patch the roster and stay in the race, or start thinking more about 2027.
Former MLB GM Jim Bowden floated an unexpected answer in his latest “best trade deadline fit” piece for The Athletic. His suggestion: call the Cincinnati Reds about Spencer Steer.
At first glance, the fit feels a little off. Bowden noted, “The Blue Jays are hoping for better health and haven’t yet told other teams what they’ll be targeting. However, they are among the worst teams in baseball in terms of runs scored and home runs, so targeting a power bat makes sense.
Steer can play first, third and left and is on pace to eclipse 20 homers for the fourth consecutive year. He’s still only 28 but is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, which is why the Reds could move on from him.”
Steer does bring some things Toronto badly needs. He’s a right-handed bat with pop, and his 14 home runs as of Jul. 7 would lead every Blue Jays hitter not named Kazuma Okamoto. He also gives a team some defensive flexibility by moving around the infield and outfield.
But there’s a reason this idea lands as more curious than convincing. Steer’s production is solid, not scary.
He’s a career .242 hitter with a .748 OPS, and this season he’s slashing .238/.317/.422 with a 99 wRC+. That’s useful.
It’s not the kind of force that changes the shape of a lineup.
That’s the real issue for Toronto. If the Blue Jays are going to spend prospect capital, they need a player who can hit in the middle of the order and tilt a game by himself.
Steer is a helpful piece, but Toronto already has enough of those. What they don’t have is the kind of bat that makes pitchers lose sleep.
That’s why this “best fit” idea feels strange. As Jeff Passan of ESPN suggested a few days ago, the Blue Jays may be better off aiming higher and chasing names in the CJ Abrams, Jeremy Peña, Wilson Contreras tier. If they’re going to make a real move, it should be for someone with more impact and some term left on the contract.
Steer could fit on this roster. He just shouldn’t be the move Toronto hangs its second-half hopes on.
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