By Jacob Becquey

The Blue Jays enter the All-Star Break at first place in the AL-East (55-41), the best first half for the franchise since they won it all in 1992. However, the so called ‘AL Beast’ has no lack of great teams looking for a playoff bid, such as the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays. If the Blue Jays wanna take back the division and host their first playoff game since 2022, they’ll need to make some aggressive moves by the deadline on July 31st.

Ross Atkins has already confirmed the Jays to be ‘ultra-aggressive’ at the deadline, mainly in a starting pitcher and right-handed bat. With those needs in mind, here are 4 moves that could help the Blue Jays win the AL East.

Trade #1: Blue Jays acquire RHP Adrian Houser for OF Jonatan Clase and LHP Adam Macko

While currently stuck on a struggling team in the midst of a rebuild, Houser has been a bright spot in the White Sox rotation, boasting a 1.56 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 57 and 2/3 innings this season. The White Sox would love to cash in on the success of the impending free agent after signing him to a 1 year deal last May.

In this mock, the Blue Jays send away Jonatan Clase, a fringe-MLB player who spent time with the club in May and June, as well as their #14 ranked Prospect in Adam Macko. Clase has been good against minor league pitching, hitting for a .807 OPS in his years between the Mariners and Jays systems. While those numbers haven’t quite translated to the big leagues, the 23 year old has some upside that the White Sox should be interested in. Adam Macko has struggled in AAA Buffalo this year, boasting an 8.14 ERA in 21 IP, but still has the talent to at least soak up some innings for the Sox as their rebuild continues. This trade lands the Jays a solid #4 Starter that can pitch in the playoffs while returning the White Sox 2 MLB-ready talents with some upside.

Trade #2: Jays trade UTIL Davis Schneider and 3B Orelvis Martinez to the Angels for OF Taylor Ward

Ward has had a very good power-hitting season with the Angels this year, knocking 21 balls out of the park while hitting for a .224 average. The struggling club would love to capitalize on Ward’s success, with his value being boosted by an additional year of arbitration.

The Blue Jays have an influx of MLB-ready Outfielders already, such as Joey Loperfido and Alan Roden. This trade would see one of those players, Davis Schneider, to LA, reducing the OF situation and providing sustainable power in the lineup with Ward. Schneider has had an up-and-down MLB Career, but has looked very good in recent games, smashing 4 homers in his last 15 games, including a 2-hr performance against the Yankees. The 26 year old has everyday upside and can develop into a true threat at the plate with multiple years of control. The trade would also send the Blue Jays #3 ranked prospect away in Orelvis Martinez, who has struggled in AAA Buffalo this year after a PED suspension in 2024. Still, the 23 year old has similar upside to Schneider, providing extra value to the Angels side of the deal.

This deal proves to have great upside for both sides, with the Angels getting 2 fringe-MLB talents and the Blue Jays slotting in Ward for consistent power in their lineup.

Trade #3: Jays receive RHP Kyle Finnegan from the Nationals for RHP Lazaro Estrada and OF RJ Schreck

The Blue Jays have a relatively good bullpen, but it has been heavily taxed this season due to inconsistent starting pitching. Adding an extra arm can never hurt a contender, and Kyle Finnegan proves to be just that: a solid arm that can close out games.

In order to obtain Finnegan, the Jays would have to part ways with thier #18 prospect RJ Schreck and #25 prospect Lazaro Estrada. Schreck has had a great year in the minors, being promoted to AAA Buffalo while smashing 11 total bombs. Estrada has also been good, boasting sub-5 ERA with Buffalo in 64 and 2/3 IP along with a solid 4-Inning performance against the Yankees. While neither talent will boost the Nationals to the World Series, they’re solid players that can help the Nationals young core as they try to get back to their winning days.

Now, these trades would all be great and feasible, but there’s one trade that would blow them all away.

Trade #4: Blue Jays acquire RHP Joe Ryan from the Twins in exchange for SS Arjun Nimmala and RHP Trey Yesavage

Now this one is HUGE. Joe Ryan has been incredible for the Twins this year, throwing for a 2.72 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 121 Ks in 109 and 1/3 IP. Not only that, but the ace has 2 additional years of control, making him a very valuable asset for any team. The Twins, who have almost no hope in a division crown with the Tigers achieving a huge 11.5 game lead, may consider dealing Ryan for the right package.

Arjun Nimmala sits at #49 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospect list, showing elite power at only 19 years old. With the Blue Jays drafting a similar talent in Jojo Parker last Sunday, it would make sense if they would want to package him in a deal for an ace like Ryan. Trey Yesavage sits at #56 on the list, showing elite strikeout ability across the minors and being relatively close to an MLB debut. The 2 prospects are very coveted, but the deal would be ultimately worth it if the Jays could get an ace like Joe Ryan. In fact, the Blue Jays have a pretty good history with trading top prospects to the Twins for ace pitchers, as they made a similar deal for Jose Berrios a few years back.

Not only would this deal establish the Twins as a top end farm system, but it would easily push the Blue Jays into World Series contention.

These moves would absolutely gut the Blue Jays minor league system, but with a historic start like this, it is necessary to go all in and make a push for the AL East crown.

Sources: https://www.mlb.com/, https://www.spotrac.com/