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2026 MLB trade deadline: Blue Jays and Phillies trade fits
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Photo credit: © Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Jul 25, 2026, 09:30 EDTUpdated: Jul 24, 2026, 22:55 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies are a good match.
The Philadelphia Phillies have shaken off a poor start to re-emerge as one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. They have a real shot at dethroning the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League if they bolster their team at the 2026 trade deadline. 
Here is what kind of players they are likely to be shopping for come August 3 and who the Blue Jays have that might fit the bill. 
 What do the Phillies need at the deadline? 
Offensively, the top of the Phillies’ lineup is stacked with a trio of All-Stars in Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh. Shortstop Trea Turner has also turned it on at the plate as of late after enduring a dreadful first half. 
The 1-2-3 punch of Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo atop their starting rotation is arguably the best in the league. Their closer, fireballer Jhoan Duran, remains one of the five most dominant bullpen pitchers in the sport. 
There is no question that the Phillies’ top-end talent is among the best in the league—depth is where this roster needs improving at the trade deadline. 
The outfielders aside from Marsh leave much to be desired. The Phillies have championship aspirations yet have been deploying the likes of Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr. on a near-everyday basis. Neither should be getting at-bats in a playoff series.
Philadelphia could also use a proper fifth starter behind the aforementioned trio and veteran Aaron Nola. Former top prospect Andrew Painter struggled mightily when given an extended audition in that role in the first half. 
Bullpen help could also be required behind Duran, especially with off-season acquisition Brad Keller recently suffering a season-ending torn UCL.
 Who could the Blue Jays trade to the Phillies? 
Free-agent-to-be Daulton Varsho is a clear and obvious fit for the Phillies. While they would probably prefer to acquire an outfielder who hits right-handed, he would be a legitimate upgrade over Crawford and Rincones on both offence and defence. 
Jesús Sánchez is another Blue Jays hitter who could make sense. The Phillies have shown a willingness to forego defence in favour of offensive production in recent years, meaning they might overlook his glove in favour of his solid bat. 
On the pitching side, Shane Bieber or Kevin Gausman—if the Blue Jays are willing to move him—make sense. Bieber in particular would be a good fit as a back-end starter on a relatively inexpensive deal who could eat innings down the stretch. Gausman would be a higher-upside play, yet would likely cost more prospect capital. 
An interesting question is whether the Phillies would entertain a reunion with Jeff Hoffman to shore up their bullpen. He pitched the best baseball of his career for them before joining the Blue Jays, and still possesses some truly elite swing-and-miss stuff. He could slide right back into the setup role he occupied for them in 2023 and 2024. 
The biggest obstacle to a potential Hoffman trade is likely to be that he is owed $12.6 million next season. The Blue Jays would probably need to eat some of that money, which they may not be eager to do if they intend to compete in 2027. 
The Blue Jays and Phillies match up well as trade partners on paper. Toronto has several rental players—Varsho and Bieber chief among them—who could help Philadelphia in its pursuit of an NL East division title, especially if they are willing to take on some salary. 
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