We’re only days from the trade deadline, meaning it won’t be long until we stop speculating on what the Blue Jays might do before the 4 p.m. ET Friday deadline and instead simply sit back and watch what they pull off.
There are several paths the Blue Jays could take. They could aggressively pursue pitching, both starters and relievers. They could add impact arms, though that’s likely easier on the relief side since the starting market may have fewer opportunities. They could target rentals or, more likely, they could seek out controllable pitchers as they’ve done in two previous trades that brought in relievers.
The team could look for a left-handed hitting third baseman to improve their defence. Or, if ways to improve run prevention don’t present themselves, the front office could look to get even better offensively.
There is a case to be made that the Blue Jays, whose plus-87 run differential suggests they are a better team than their record says they are, should make a splash at the deadline, trade from their deep prospect pool in order to add an impact player who can supplement a roster led by MVP-candidate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. There is also a fair case to be made for the team to be a bit more conservative and make only necessary moves to address a need — like the back end of the bullpen — while still keeping an eye on the long-term vision.
However, there have been some suggestions — yes, mainly on social media — that the team should be sellers. I am here to tell you why they should not pursue that.
The Blue Jays have hovered in the American League wild-card mix nearly all season, though a recent rut had them as many as five games back recently.
