How aggressive will Blue Jays be at Trade Deadline?

TORONTO -- This is what the July 31 Trade Deadline is supposed to feel like, vibrating with possibility.

Last year’s Deadline was the opposite, a going out of business sale dropped into the middle of a lost season. This time, with a potential division race against the Yankees (48-35) sitting right in front of them, the Blue Jays (45-38) can aim big again.

“Last year sucked,” manager John Schneider said. “It was different. We’re still a little bit away, but when you get around this time, guys get excited about it. We do a really good job of trying to improve our team. You look back at getting José [Berríos], getting Jordan Hicks, there are players over the years who have come in and helped. It’s cool that we’re in a position right now to do that again. Looking at the veteran guys, too -- [Chris] Bassitt, [Kevin] Gausman, Bo [Bichette], Vladdy [Guerrero Jr.], [Chad] Green -- they’re excited that we’re in this position.”

This is when it’s all supposed to take off for the Blue Jays, who have spent the past month creating some distance between themselves and .500. Executive vice president of baseball operations/general manager Ross Atkins’ job is so much different this year, too, another shot to add just the right player at just the right time. Every memorable team has one or two of those moves to look back on.

Speaking on Monday just hours before the Blue Jays opened a crucial four-game set against the Yankees, Atkins offered some early hints on which direction Toronto could go.

“Probably on the run-prevention side more from a depth standpoint,” Atkins said. “If we can score more, we’ll look to do that. And adding a right-handed hitter to our team is something we’ve been trying to do internally, and we have considered external alternatives as well. The run-prevention side is probably going to come from pitching with how good our defense has been.”

The right-handed bat has long been a logical fit, even stretching back to the offseason when it felt like the Blue Jays were still one big bat away. Breakout seasons for Ernie Clement and Addison Barger have helped significantly, but with Daulton Varsho on the IL again and Anthony Santander still battling through a left shoulder issue after a poor start to the season, these pleasant surprises have helped the club break even.

This feels like a problem with an external answer, too. The Blue Jays have done well to fill holes with MLB-caliber depth, but there isn’t an obvious answer kicking the door down at Triple-A Buffalo and Orelvis Martinez’s prospect stock (Toronto’s No. 3 per MLB Pipeline) is deflating at an alarming rate.

This should be viewed as an opportunity, though, not a flaw. Even baseball’s behemoths have needs at this point in the season and, like Atkins says, the Blue Jays have “nothing glaring” right now. What they do have is money, which is where this could get really fun.

“We’ve shown that we have such good support here from ownership that we will continue to flex that muscle if we can,” Atkins said. “Everything is presented to them [if] we're strongly recommending to do so, and usually when we do, we have incredible support. If there’s something that presents itself that makes a lot of sense for us short-term and long, I would expect us to have the ability to be a powerful organization.”

The Berríos deal from 2021 remains a great blueprint, acquiring a high-end player with some term remaining on their contract. There will be smaller-market teams looking to shed money, so if the Blue Jays can position themselves among the small handful of teams who can take on significant salary in ‘25 and beyond, that’s an incredible advantage to hold. The contracts coming off their books in a few months -- namely Bichette, Bassitt, [Max] Scherzer and Green -- only add to the possibilities.

All that’s left is the wait.

“It’s certainly going to move slowly at this point,” Atkins said. “The market hasn’t taken shape and there’s a lot of teams that are undecided on what they’re doing, and [there] will be for some time. I think that’s a little bit more significant than in past years, but that could change in 10 days.”

The next four weeks could answer some questions. Perhaps Alek Manoah’s rehab from Tommy John surgery changes the math in the rotation; perhaps Santander’s return takes this lineup to a new level; or perhaps No. 2 prospect Trey Yesavage becomes an option before anyone expected.

It’s no longer a question of whether the Blue Jays will buy, though, only how big they want to swing.