What could the Blue Jays target before the Trade Deadline?

PHILADELPHIA -- The next six weeks of the Blue Jays’ season will all play out in the shadow of the Trade Deadline, which takes on a far greater meaning now that the Blue Jays have freed themselves from .500 and positioned themselves as postseason contenders.

Sunday’s ugly 11-4 loss in Philadelphia put Toronto on the wrong end of the sweep, souring the 5-4 record that it would have happily taken at the outset of this road trip, but the Blue Jays will return home with a 38-33 record, with a postseason run still sitting right in front of them.

It’s “needs” season, that time each year when we list exactly which holes Toronto needs to fill and who’s available, but this season isn’t that simple.

Barring injuries, any position player addition would need to represent a significant upgrade, not just a complementary piece. The Blue Jays have enough of those already, and while another platoon monster off the bench or a burner for the bases might help situationally, they have plenty of MLB-caliber depth. Any addition would need to be a great player, not just a good one.

Toronto’s rotation has too many question marks right now, from Bowden Francis to the recovery of Max Scherzer and its overall lack of depth, but this conversation doesn’t need to be about 2025 alone. Frankly, no Trade Deadline conversation this season beyond bullpen rentals needs to focus solely on the rest of ‘25. The Blue Jays have the financial muscle to look to ‘26 and beyond, which brings us to José Berríos.

When the Blue Jays acquired Berríos from the Twins in 2021, he came with an additional year of club control and an openness to signing an extension, which he soon did. Their rotation was led by Robbie Ray that year, but Ray was a pending free agent and the front office wanted to take care of two problems at once, both boosting the team's odds in ‘21 and jumping the next year’s market for starting pitching.

They nailed it in 2021. Now, it’s the perfect time to go back to the Berríos blueprint.

The future of the Blue Jays’ rotation
The 2026 rotation projects to be led by Kevin Gausman (in the final year of his contract) and Berríos (who has an opt-out clause following that season). Both Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are free agents, so the veteran core of this group is fading.

Yes, Alek Manoah will be back for a full, healthy season. Yes, Francis could very well bounce back to be a solid back-end starter for years. Yes, No. 2 prospect Trey Yesavage looks like he’ll kick the door down in 2026, if not sooner, but the Blue Jays can’t bet on every little thing going according to plan.

Next year’s free-agent class will be led by Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez and others. This year’s rental crop is appealing, but potential candidates with control into 2026 or beyond include Freddy Peralta of the Brewers and Mitch Keller of the Pirates. Keep in mind that Berríos wasn’t a lock to be dealt in ‘21 by any means, either. There are always options, especially for clubs looking to maximize their return and save a few bucks in the process.

Money matters
This is all about money, first and foremost. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500 million deal kicking in next year, every single arrow points towards the Blue Jays continuing to spend at this level, if not higher.

The Blue Jays’ roster is on the doorstep of some natural turnover, too, and all of this money coming off the books will need to go somewhere.

Contracts expiring after the 2025 season
• RHP Chris Bassitt -- $22 million
• SS Bo Bichette -- $17.6 million
• RHP Max Scherzer -- $15 million
• RHP Chad Green -- $10.5 million
• RHP Erik Swanson -- $3 million

Contracts expiring after the 2026 season
• OF George Springer -- $24.17 million
• RHP Kevin Gausman -- $23 million
• OF Daulton Varsho -- $8.2 million (one arbitration raise remaining)
• RHP Yimi García -- $7.5 million

The Blue Jays will need to forecast some other factors, including the opt-out Berríos holds following the 2026 season, the jump in Andrés Giménez’s salary at that same time and the natural increase of salaries through arbitration for their young players. But the answers at the end of all of this math is that the Toronto has financial flexibility, period. The Blue Jays have the freedom to not only spend now, but spend well into the future.