The Toronto Blue Jays may have spent the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline selling off pieces, but they didn’t treat it like a teardown. The Jose Soriano deal with the Los Angeles Angels signaled something else entirely: this is a team aiming to get back into the playoff mix next season.
That’s why their offseason is already shaping up to be busy. After moving multiple former key players during the year, Toronto has a real need to restock, and CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa has already linked the club to two names that fit the “difference-maker” label: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene and Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan.
Greene is the bigger swing, and the risk is obvious. He has undergone season ending surgery and won’t be back until late in the year, next summer.
Even so, he’s exactly the kind of arm a team in Toronto’s position could chase. The Blue Jays dealt Kevin Gausman at the trade deadline and are heading into the offseason with pending UFA pitchers Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer.
They still need help in the rotation, and Greene would give them that once he’s healthy.
When he’s been right, Greene has looked like a frontline pitcher. The 27-year-old has been sidelined by elbow issues for much of this season, but his recent track record is strong: a 6.83 ERA in five appearances this year, then a 2.76 ERA in 2025 and a 2.75 ERA in 2024.
He’s also controlled through the 2028 season, with a club option for 2029, which makes him more than a short-term fix. If Toronto wants to buy low while he’s injured, the price could be more manageable.
Kwan would solve a different problem. After the Blue Jays traded Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros ahead of the deadline, adding another outfielder makes sense, and Kwan checks a lot of boxes. He’s a two-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner, and he brings a little bit of everything when he’s rolling.
His 2026 line with Cleveland includes 106 games, one home run, 21 RBI and a .260 batting average. Last season, he put up 11 home runs, 29 doubles, 56 RBI and a .272 batting average in 156 games. That kind of production, plus his defensive value, is exactly why he stands out as a fit for Toronto.
The Blue Jays have work to do this winter. If they’re serious about getting back to contender status in 2027, adding players like Greene and Kwan is the sort of move that would make sense.
In Other News...
Jeff Hoffman Is Reviving A Blue Jays Problem In Minnesota
Jeff Hoffmans early days in Minnesota have already shown why the Twins were interested in him in the first place and why the Blue Jays knew the late-inning equation could get complicated. Since arriving from Toronto, the right-hander has flashed the swing-and-miss stuff that makes him valuable out of the bullpen, and his first couple of outings with his new club were clean enough to suggest a quick fit.
But Hoffmans track record has always carried a little volatility, especially when the leverage rises, and that concern surfaced again in Minnesota with a run-scoring appearance that changed the game late. The stuff is still there, and so is the ability to miss bats, but the Twins are looking for the same thing Toronto never quite got in a consistent way: steadier work when the pressure is highest. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Prospect Rise Fuels Fresh Debate Over Arjun Nimmala Move
JoJo Parkers ascent has given the Blue Jays player-development picture a little more clarity and a lot more conversation. The 20-year-old shortstop prospect earned a bump from Single-A Dunedin to High-A Vancouver after putting together a strong stretch following the All-Star break, and his rise comes as Toronto has kept moving young talent through the system. Alexis Hernandez, Tucker Toman, Eric Snow and Brett Bateman have all advanced recently as well, a reminder that the organization is still sorting through which prospects fit the long-term plan and which ones become movable pieces.
That backdrop matters because Toronto has already shown a willingness to mix patience with aggression when it comes to shortstops and pitching depth. The move involving Arjun Nimmala for Jos Soriano sharpened the debate around how the front office values its infield prospects, and Parkers progress only adds another layer to it. For a team trying to balance present needs with future upside, the next wave of promotions may say as much about the organizations priorities as any transaction. [Read more 🡒]