As Deadline approaches, Blue Jays determined to bolster bullpen

BALTIMORE -- Recognizing how rare seasons like this one are, the Blue Jays remain one of the most aggressive and motivated buyers ahead of Thursday’s Trade Deadline.

The addition of Seranthony Domínguez was ideally an appetizer. It’s a fine way to start, adding a high-strikeout arm who immediately fills a setup role, but the Blue Jays are aiming higher and remain involved in trade talks at multiple levels of the relief market, sources tell MLB.com.

Fresh off a 9-8 win on Wednesday in Baltimore to salvage one game from a tough, four-game set, here’s where their bullpen stands going into Thursday ahead of the 6 p.m. ET Deadline.

Current bullpen:
Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodríguez, Seranthony Domínguez, Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher, Paxton Schultz, Tommy Nance, Mason Fluharty

“You want to have as many different looks as you can,” manager John Schneider said, “and you want to have swing-and-miss stuff, obviously. I think that a lot of the guys have that. If there are ways to continue to add to that, I know we’re still talking about that, too. I like having two lefties, and I like having guys who can come into high-pressure spots and respond.”

In a perfect world, Yimi García returns from his right elbow issue later in August, but the Blue Jays can’t be betting on perfect worlds. This is why they’ve entered the Trade Deadline targeting multiple arms, not just Domínguez.

The barrier when you’re shopping in any luxury market, of course, is price. The asks for top-end relief pitching are extremely high right now, which was already shown by Toronto giving up its No. 10 prospect, Juaron Watts-Brown, for Domínguez. It’s a fine deal and fits the Blue Jays well, but a prospect of Watts-Brown’s caliber for a non-closer already hints toward a pricy market.

One major factor? There are still so many teams caught in the middle, undecided on whether they’re going to deal a rental or cash out a year early on their big name with term remaining. For now, teams sitting on the fence can make big demands and wait for someone to come along and knock them off that fence. Tier by tier, here’s what the coming hours could hold for Toronto:

The back end: One more big name?

The Blue Jays have serious interest in Pirates closer David Bednar, who has a year of control remaining in 2026. The list of top-end names available on this market expands to include Griffin Jax, Cade Smith and others.

This is a good example of how Toronto’s approach really works. Being “in on everyone” sounds like Trade Deadline fluff at times, but it can work. If the Blue Jays have a list of six or 10 relievers they think can raise their ceiling, now is the day to explore final asks on all 10. From that list, rank the deals by value and hammer one home. One more big name could make this bullpen scary.

The middle

This is where the Blue Jays have targeted controllable relievers in the past (think Adam Cimber and Zach Pop), so that should be a factor again. Toronto has shown a willingness to take on rental relievers when it shops at the top of the market (think Jordan Hicks in 2023), but if the Blue Jays are adding a middle reliever, they’d be wise to help themselves in 2026 and beyond, too.

Don’t consider middle relief the top priority here, but value is value if something lines up late with a discount.

Long relief: The wild card

Yes, they could punch the pedal to the floor and entertain the idea of No. 2 prospect Trey Yesavage, who has struck out 116 batters over 71 2/3 innings. There’s also No. 6 prospect Kendry Rojas, just promoted to Triple-A. Rojas has been held back by health issues and is just 22, but the lefty has special talent and struck out 30 batters in 18 2/3 innings at Double-A. Even ranked sixth in the system, he’s one of the most underrated players in the organization.

This front office has actively targeted swingmen in the past, though, like Ross Stripling and Mitch White. Given the potential openings in their rotation next season, this is another way the Blue Jays could help themselves out a year from now while still boosting their bullpen in ’25.

Regardless of which path the Blue Jays take, it’s likely to end up in the same place. Good bullpens help you get to the postseason, but great bullpens win the World Series.