What Does the Rest of the Season Look Like for the Blue Jays?

In a season full of almosts and not-quites, it seemed like the Toronto Blue Jays were finally on the verge of sustained success. Yet, for a multitude of reasons, they find themselves nine games below .500. Can they turn things around? It seems unlikely.

To put it bluntly, this season has been a nightmare. Coming off a miraculous run last year, the Blue Jays have regressed in nearly every category and now sit firmly in last place in the AL East. Some of the stars who carried them to last year’s success have failed to meet expectations, while the strong play of newcomers hasn’t been enough to offset those struggles.

Now, with the trade deadline in less than a week, the focus will likely shift from salvaging this season to preparing for next year, with the team expected to operate as sellers rather than buyers.

It’s never easy to wave the white flag, but that decision may have already been made when rookie CJ Van Eyk entered a tie game in the eighth inning against the red-hot Boston Red Sox. No disrespect to Van Eyk, but he has been used almost exclusively as a starter at Triple-A this season.

Fourth and Long

If they choose to go into a “hard sell,” we know some of the names who will likely be available. Pending free agents Daulton Varsho, Kevin Gausman, George Springer, Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer, and Shane Bieber could all find new homes. Others, such as Jesús Sánchez, Nathan Lukes, and Jeff Hoffman, could also be on the move.

That would create plenty of roster opportunities. With Addison Barger already shut down for the season and Anthony Santander seemingly still a long way from returning, the Blue Jays will need to replace their expiring contracts with players who can make an impact sooner rather than later.

This season may be close to a foregone conclusion, but Toronto doesn’t have a bad roster; it simply needs to address some of the issues that have plagued the team throughout the year.

If the primary goal is no longer winning games, the remainder of 2026 will become an audition period for future pieces. Toronto has already used 21 hitters and 29 pitchers this season, but those numbers could climb significantly following the trade deadline.

Who’s Next?

There are prospects pushing for a call-up (such as Josh Kasevich and Jay Harry) and veterans who may have earned a brief look at the major league level (such as Daz Cameron and Ismael Munguia).

It would also provide more consistent playing time for rookies who have bounced between levels this season, including Charles McAdoo, Sean Keys, Yohendrick Pinango, CJ Van Eyk, Chad Dallas, and Tanner Andrews.

If we look back at the 2024 trade deadline as a blueprint, several players Toronto acquired then were mentioned in the previous paragraph (Harry, McAdoo, and Pinango). Others have already been flipped for additional pieces, including Will Wagner for Brandon Valenzuela and Joey Loperfido for Jesús Sánchez. Of the 14 players Toronto acquired across eight trades, 10 remain in the organization, with seven reaching Triple-A and three appearing in a game for Toronto this season.

This highlights Toronto’s approach: acquire prospects who have a chance to reach the majors sooner rather than later. While the outfield is currently crowded with MLB-caliber players, the infield is still a couple of years away from Arjun Nimmala and JoJo Parker making their impact felt.

The pitching depth also drops off significantly after Nolan Perry and Johnny King, neither of whom is major-league ready.

This gives Toronto an opportunity to address its lack of organizational depth in a major way. The Blue Jays aren’t going to receive a Tarik Skubal-level return for Kevin Gausman, but they could bring back a young, controllable arm nearing an MLB debut.

Teams would also have plenty of interest in the defense Daulton Varsho provides, allowing Toronto to target players who address some of its biggest weaknesses — whether that’s adding speed (the Blue Jays rank fifth-worst in steals) or power (Toronto ranks fifth-worst in home runs).

Post-Deadline Vibes

With expectations lowered after a sell-off, there would also be less pressure on a Blue Jays team that has struggled this season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.‘s decline from last year has been well documented, so the remainder of the season can serve as an opportunity to find ways to get him back into the swing of things (pun intended).

The hope is that he enters 2027 — assuming the league still exists in its current form — closer to the player he was in 2025.

After a sell-off, this team will look very different. It’s never easy to trade away players who have been so important to the team both on the field and in the clubhouse. Springer and Gausman were two critical pieces of last season’s World Series run and two of the most respected players in franchise history. They’ll likely never have to buy a meal in Toronto for the rest of their lives.

However, baseball is a business. While fans can always look back and wonder what could have been, it’s time to turn the page and focus on the future — and the players who can help take this team further than it went in 2025.

A man can only hope.