The Toronto Blue Jays keep searching for a spark, and the latest name linked to their offense problems is a big one: Francisco Lindor.
Toronto has already tried plenty to wake up its bats, even rolling out a giant stuffed red dragon, but ESPN’s Jeff Passan says the cleaner fix could come via trade. With the deadline less than two weeks away, Passan reported that the Blue Jays are among several teams interested in the New York Mets shortstop, and he listed Toronto as one of the best fits for the 32-year-old.
Lindor brings the kind of profile Toronto badly needs. He’s a five-time MLB All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop and a steady on-base presence. After missing nearly two months of the 2026 season with a leg injury, he has started to heat up again, lifting his OPS from .637 to .690 in less than a month while adding four home runs.
The fit makes sense on paper, but the price would sting. A deal would likely require Toronto to part with a top prospect such as Arjun Nimmala or JoJo Parker, along with a useful major leaguer.
That’s the kind of move a club makes only if it believes the season is still salvageable. Right now, the Blue Jays sit dead last in the MLB in runs scored, and Lindor would give the lineup an immediate jolt.
Passan also pointed to the relationship angle. On a recent episode of Sportsnet’s Blair & Barker podcast, he said Toronto should at least make the call, especially because Lindor has history with the front office. He spent nearly a decade in the Cleveland Guardians organization before being traded to the Mets for current Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez, so he would already know president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins day-to-day operations.
Still, Passan doesn’t sound convinced a deadline deal is likely. With both the Mets and Blue Jays sitting well below .500, he pegged the odds of Lindor being moved before Aug. 3 at 15 per cent and said an offseason trade is more realistic.
There’s also the contract to consider. Lindor is in the fifth year of his 10-year, $341-million deal, and if Toronto landed him, the team would control him through the 2031 season.
That kind of long-term addition would line up with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is under contract with Toronto through 2039.
For now, though, the whole idea feels like a massive swing for a team still fighting to get its footing. Toronto would be betting big on a turnaround, and the odds are long.
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