5 Left-Handed Starters That’d Be Perfect Fits on the Blue Jays

It hasn’t been the season the Toronto Blue Jays envisioned. Just one year removed from winning the American League pennant and reaching the World Series, they sit six games below .500 coming out of Fourth of July weekend.

Still, all hope is not lost. In a wide-open American League, no team is truly out of contention, and the Blue Jays have enough talent to believe a second-half surge is possible.

To make that push, however, they may need reinforcements in the rotation. With a right-handed-heavy starting staff and one of baseball’s stronger farm systems, Toronto has the resources to make a significant addition at the trade deadline. Adding one or two of the pitchers on this list could elevate the Blue Jays from wild-card hopefuls to legitimate World Series contenders.

Stats were taken prior to play on July 6.

Tarik Skubal: 3.15 ERA, 3.11 FIP, 0.91 WHIP

It would cost a fortune, but Tarik Skubal is undoubtedly the top trade option available. It’s not often that pitchers like Skubal, a back-to-back Cy Young winner, become available, but he’s the type of player worth emptying the system for.

Skubal has only made 11 starts so far this season (which, in itself, is remarkable after the elbow surgery he had in early May), and his numbers are impressive. So far this season, he’s walked just eight batters and is in the top 10% of the league in chase rate and strikeout rate.

However, if you really want to look at him at his best, in 2025, he was worth +51 pitching run value (best in MLB), and he he had a fastball run value of +21 and an offspeed run value of +25 (best in MLB).

That was carried by his changeup, which averaged 88 mph and was worth +25 run value on its own. Of course, that led MLB. Over his seven seasons, he has a career ERA of 3.08, and by the end of the summer, he’ll be over 1,000 career strikeouts (currently sitting at 964).

Even though he’s an upcoming free agent, you’d likely be saying goodbye to Jojo Parker, Arjun Nimmala, and more. Is it worth it to send value to prevent him from reaching the open market in the fall? If there’s a contract attached, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Robbie Ray: 3.45 ERA, 4.69 FIP, 1.23 WHIP

Pete Walker and the Blue Jays’ pitching coaches helped Robbie Ray revitalise his career once; why not go for round two? When Toronto acquired Ray for Travis Bergen in 2020, the expectations were not for him to put up 6.9 WAR and win a Cy Young the following season.

Ray’s 2021 for Toronto was incredible, striking out 248 batters (which led MLB) while also leading all AL starters in innings pitched (193.1) and ERA (2.84). His numbers since then haven’t been to that level, but he’s coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which he put up a 3.65 ERA over 32 starts, earning his second-ever All-Star appearance in the process.

While strong, a big red flag was the number of walks he issued, as his 73 led all NL starters.

So far in 2026, they’ve remained an issue (4.07 BB/9), and his strikeout numbers have taken a hit as well. Something seems to be working this summer, though, as his last couple of starts have shown strong signs.

Over his last four appearances (one of them was in relief due to a weather-related suspension), he’s allowed three earned runs (0.95 ERA) in 28.1 innings. Walks have still been an issue (10 over that span), but he’s struck out 20 with 13 hits allowed. As a pending free agent, he’s chosen to get things going at the right time.

His fastball might be 1.5 mph slower than it was in 2021, but he’s introduced a sinker this season that’s held opponents to a .220 average. His changeup and curveball are both strong pitches as well, his curveball in particular garnering whiffs 44.1% of the time. That’s a great sign because it was one of the worst pitches in baseball last season, with a run value of -9.

No one really knows what the Giants are doing at this point, and the return might not be incredibly hefty. If Toronto isn’t comfortable going all out for Skubal, Ray is a solid enough backup option.

Foster Griffin: 2.87 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.04 WHIP

Toronto had luck last season with a lefty who spent some time pitching in Asia, so why not try to replicate that with Foster Griffin?

Yes, Eric Lauer was with the Blue Jays in 2026, but his numbers with Toronto were very different from last year. Foster Griffin, on the other hand, has been consistent all year.

Another former Blue Jay (he made one relief appearance for the club in 2022), Griffin pitched in Japan from 2023 to 2025 and had three very strong seasons for the Yomiuri Giants. In his final year in Japan, he pitched to a 1.62 ERA in 14 appearances.

Griffin parlayed that into a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals, where, over 17 starts, the almost 31-year-old has struck out nearly a batter an inning (8.71 K/9). He isn’t going to blow you away with velocity at 91.4 mph, but he’s got a seven-pitch mix that he relies on.

Against right-handed batters, he’ll throw all seven pitches (cutter, four-seam, sweeper, sinker, curve, changeup, splitter). While he throws the cutter as a primary pitch (31.9%), all the others are thrown with similar regularity. He’s only a six-pitch pitcher against lefties (no changeup), but most of his work is from his sweeper (28%) and cutter (24%).

As you can imagine, having a multitude of options makes it a lot harder for batters to predict what’s coming. This allows his slower fastball to play up, which helps when you’re in the bottom nine percent of the league in average velocity. Chris Bassitt had multiple strong seasons in Toronto utilizing the same strategy, albeit from the right side (and with eight pitches).

There also hasn’t really been an outlier “bad” pitch for Griffin. Far and away, his best pitch has been his cutter (+9 run value), but even though the curveball and splitter might have negative run values, all seven have an opponent average of .255 or lower. Across all those pitches, Griffin has allowed only 26 walks and 81 hits this season, but the hits he has allowed have been crushed.

He’s tied for the sixth-most home runs allowed (17) and has also been aided by some luck behind him (his xERA being almost a full run higher than his ERA). Washington is also within reach of a playoff spot. Depending on how the next couple of weeks go, the Nationals could very quickly go from seller to buyer, which would likely take him off the market.

Reid Detmers: 4.13 ERA, 3.08 FIP, 1.11 WHIP

There’s a new GM in Los Angeles, and if owner Arte Moreno gives him permission to sell, Reid Detmers will be a top target.

After a couple of down years (a 6.70 ERA in 2024 and a move to the bullpen in 2025), Detmers has returned to the starting rotation this season and has really shone. Over his 17 starts, he’s struck out 112 batters, while only walking 31.

A five-pitch pitcher, Detmers has relied heavily on his four-seamer (44.5%) and slider (32.7%), and both pitches have been really strong this year.

56 of his strikeouts have come from his slider, a disgusting pitch that has a +12 run value. To really show how deadly it is, he’s the only left-handed starter who has a slider with a run value of +6 or better.

If that isn’t impressive enough, he’s also one of the unluckiest pitchers in the sport. Both his FIP (3.08) and xERA (3.18) are well lower than his ERA (4.13). Anyone acquiring Detmers is doing so knowing they’re potentially getting a top-15 pitcher in the sport according to the peripherals.

Unlike the three previously mentioned pitchers, Detmers has years of control (he isn’t a free agent until 2029) and is only 26 (for a couple more days). A trade package for him is also going to be hefty, but like with Griffin, there’s no indication that the Angels will necessarily sell.

Interim general manager John Mozeliak has his hands full, but he has an impressive trade chip at his disposal.

Kris Bubic: 4.11 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.23 WHIP

Currently on the 60-Day IL, Kris Bubic was recently scratched from his rehab start due to shoulder soreness. But Toronto has shown a willingness to bring in pitchers recovering from injury.

Another impending free agent, the 28-year-old Bubic is another soft-throwing lefty who relies on deception and a multitude of pitches. He features a five-pitch mix (four against lefties, no changeup), but is a very different pitcher against righties and lefties.

Against righties, he relies heavily on his four-seamer (which averages only 91.8 mph), followed by his four other pitches pretty equally (changeup, sweeper, sinker, slider). For lefties, it’s a guessing game. All four pitches are thrown between 22% and 30%. That’s resulted in lefties hitting just .182 against him this season, with only eight hits allowed versus 13 punchouts.

Walks have been a major issue for Bubic this season. He’s issued 26 of them over 50.1 innings, seven of them coming in his final two starts (compared to nine strikeouts). He’s been moderately unlucky according to FIP, but his xERA is actually higher than his ERA (4.50). There are a lot of questions around Bubic, the most important being his health.

Unfortunately, during Bubic’s most recent rehab appearance, his velocity was down a tick (90.9 mph), and it was followed by the second time this season he’s been shut down due to shoulder soreness. Soon, we’ll get an update on his recovery plan, but there’s a chance he might be done this season.

However, if there’s a strong chance he can return in August, he’s an inviting buy-low candidate. Like Shane Bieber in 2025, Bubic has a strong track record, but he has question marks around his health. The Bieber move paid off pretty well, so replicating it in 2026 could be the best value for a low price tag.

Another option for Bubic could be a move to the bullpen post-recovery. He was moved there in 2024 after returning from Tommy John surgery and was very efficient (2.67 ERA in 27 appearances). He could be used in a role similar to what the Jays appear to be doing with Patrick Corbin, though they’d get much more value from Bubic.