With the trade deadline looming on Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays look more and more like sellers. At 49-59 through 108 games, the club’s slide has turned an unexpected 2025 follow-up into a roster that could be picked apart by contending teams looking for help.
That’s the backdrop for a Blue Jays group that suddenly has a lot of names floating around the rumor mill. Some are obvious trade chips.
Others are tougher calls. And a few are the kind of players playoff teams would love to pry loose if Toronto is willing to listen.
Kevin Gausman is the name most likely to dominate the conversation. The right-hander is a pending UFA, has made 22 starts and logged 121.2 innings with a 4.51 ERA in 2026, and has repeatedly said he wants to stay put.
But the market may not care. ESPN’s Jeff Passan said Tuesday, "The Blue Jays don't want to trade Kevin Gausman, I think they just know that they have to at this point," and Gausman’s no-trade list, which includes eight teams, adds another layer to the process.
Shane Bieber is another starter drawing attention, though his season has been a mess. He opted into his player option for 2026, then didn’t make his debut until late June because of injury.
In seven starts, he has posted a 5.74 ERA over 31.1 innings. Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported last Thursday that the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays were among the teams with interest, though that may have cooled after Bieber’s rough outing against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
Max Scherzer’s situation is different, because he controls it. The 42-year-old, who signed a one-year extension in the offseason, has been limited by injuries all year and has struggled badly when he’s been on the mound, putting up a 9.49 ERA in seven starts across 24.2 innings.
He also has a no-trade clause. When asked about the speculation, Scherzer said, "I’m just not going to answer your question," Scherzer told Sportsnet and The Athletic last week.
"Our job is to come here, show up and win the ballgame. We need to go 1-0 today.
If the front office makes a decision on our season and there's a conversation we have then I'll gladly answer those questions."
The bullpen picture is a little murkier. Jeff Hoffman hasn’t exactly won over the fan base, but his 2026 season has been steadier than the early noise suggested.
He has a 4.11 ERA with five saves over 46 innings, and after a rough opening stretch, he has allowed just three earned runs in 20 appearances through June and July. His contract runs through 2027 at $12.66 million, which could make a deal harder to pull off, but USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said a reunion with the Phillies is possible: "I could see [Jeff] Hoffman.
He’s pitched a lot better now too. [The Phillies] are familiar with him," Nightengale said on 97.5 The Fanatic.
George Springer is another veteran whose name is out there. After a bounce-back 2025, he has come back to earth this season, hitting .234 with 12 homers and 33 RBI in 77 games. He is a pending UFA, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post said Monday that he believes the Yankees would "love to have him."
Daulton Varsho has also struggled in 2026, and his defense has not been at the level Blue Jays fans are used to seeing. He has played 95 games and is batting .245 with seven home runs and 25 RBI.
Even so, Nightengale believes he could bring back more than expected. "I think Varsho's going to get more than people think," Nightengale told Blue Jays Today.
"Teams like Philadelphia [Phillies] are looking at him."
Then there’s Louis Varland, who has been Toronto’s best pitcher this season. He owns a 1.02 ERA with 22 saves across 53 innings and is under team control through 2030, which makes him a long shot to move.
Still, relievers can change the calculus fast, and some around the league think the Blue Jays could try to sell high. ESPN’s Buster Olney put it plainly on TSN radio: "Every contending team is looking for a reliever, and Varland would check every box for any contender.
So it would be a great seller’s market," Olney said. "And I do think if they legitimately dangled him out there, that he probably would be the most coveted reliever available if Mason Miller was not made available.”
Two other names to keep in mind are Myles Straw and Jesus Sanchez, though they’re being discussed far less than the bigger pieces above.
Either way, Toronto has plenty to sort through before Monday.
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 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 🡒]