2026 MLB trade deadline: Blue Jays and Nationals trade fits
Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Jul 27, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 27, 2026, 00:04 EDT
The last time the Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals met was the second series of the 2025 regular season, when the Blue Jays swept the Nationals across a three-game set.
To close out the 2025 season, the Blue Jays ended up going on a magical run to Game 7 of the World Series, while the Nationals slumped to a 66-96 record, good for the second-worst record in the National League.
Flash forward to this season, and the Nationals find themselves in the midst of the NL Wild Card hunt after posting a 54-52 record through their first 106 games. The club has been getting big seasons out of C.J. Abrams, James Wood, and Luis Garcia Jr. as they try to hunt down their first playoff berth since 2019, when they claimed the World Series.
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, sit with a record of 48-58, and appear to be trending in the direction of selling. With a handful of pending free agents, the Blue Jays and Nationals could find a common ground on what works for both sides.
What do the Nationals need and who is a fit?
While they only sit one game out of the final playoff spot, it feels unlikely that the Nationals will go on a full-scale buy at the deadline, but don’t count out an addition to their rotation as they try to stabilize a unit that has struggled for much of 2026.
Outside of Foster Griffin and Cade Cavalli, no other starter has compiled an earned run average under 4.00. While Kevin Gausman seems like he’d have too steep a price tag, Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer could be players who could come at a reasonable price and help provide some quality innings to a group that is so desperate for them.
Following his last two starts, in which Bieber has thrown 13 innings and allowed only one earned run while striking out nine, his price tag has certainly increased. Last season, Bieber was acquired for Khal Stephen, the Blue Jays’ No. 5-ranked prospect, and while he may not fetch as high of a return this year, another strong outing against these same Nationals tomorrow could entice them to strike a deal revolving around one of their middle-ranked prospects, such as No.17-ranked prospect Alejandro Rosario.
Scherzer’s return to D.C. would represent a homecoming for the future Hall of Famer. The 41-year-old spent parts of seven seasons with the Nationals, a stretch in which he went 92-47 with a 2.80 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP, all while being a part of their 2019 championship.
While Scherzer hasn’t toed a big-league mound since June 10, he is set to come off the injured list and face these Nationals after throwing five hitless innings in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons and could be worth the risk for the Nationals as they try to return to postseason baseball.
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