The Blue Jays aren’t just competing with the Yankees and the rest of the AL East for the division crown; they’ll likely be bidding against each other on the trade market this month as well.

Toronto currently holds a 3.0 game lead over the Yankees, is 5.0 games ahead of the Red Sox, and is 5.5 games ahead of the Rays. With more than a third of the regular season remaining, there is plenty of time for the landscape to shift in the division, and right now, Ross Atkins and company are focused on making the surprise AL East leaders even stronger as we head for the stretch run.

The motivation to improve the roster ahead of the deadline is pretty obvious. The Jays have a real chance to be in the postseason mix this year, and these opportunities don’t come along on an annual basis. It’s especially significant as they face the reality that some of their core won’t be back next year, as key pieces like Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, and a handful of others are in the last year of their respective contracts. The year after, they could lose others like Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios (who has an opt-out in his contract), and more, so the window for this core group could be coming to a close sooner rather than later.

In addition to their ambitions, I would argue that the Blue Jays should be extra motivated to acquire a few players, especially those who could help fill a need for their division rivals. For example, every contender needs more pitching, and Ross Atkins and the front office team will have to compete with plenty of other suitors for the limited help on the market, including the Yankees.

As a more direct example, there’s a premium bat potentially available in Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he’s a player that could provide a significant upgrade in both New York and Toronto right about now.

Suarez has found another gear over the last year or so and has been one of the most potent power bats in all of baseball. The 34-year-old is slashing .254/.326/.585 with 33 home runs and 81 RBIs over 354 at-bats so far in 2025, well on his way to career highs in most categories. His home run and RBI totals both lead the AL, and that elite production does not appear to be a fluke, either, as Suarez started this trend in the second half of last season and hasn’t stopped since. He’s also still an above-average defender at the hot corner and shouldn’t cost as much as a controllable player of his talent level. Suarez is set to hit the free agent market again this winter, which means the acquiring team is most likely getting him as a rental.

For the Blue Jays, the 2x All-Star would provide a nice power upgrade in the middle of their lineup, and could do so at a position that they could make work. They already have options at third base in Ernie Clement, Will Wagner, and Addison Barger, but their respective versatility means that the Jays could bring in someone like Suarez and not have others bumped out entirely. Barger has spent plenty of time in the outfield this year, and the Jays seem to prefer him out there, given his cannon of an arm. Clement has bounced all over the diamond, and Wagner has seen time at three different positions as well. They could potentially face a roster crunch as their injured players start to return, and they look at the prospect of roster additions, but they also have a handful of players with minor league options.

For the sake of a visual, here’s what the Blue Jays’ lineup could look like with Suarez in the fold, and with their injured regulars back in the lineup:

1- Bo Bichette (SS)
2- George Springer (DH)
3- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)
4- Anthony Santander (LF)
5- Eugenio Suarez (3B)
6- Addison Barger (RF)
7- Alejandro Kirk (C)
8- Daulton Varsho (CF)
9- Andres Gimenez/Ernie Clement (2B)

From there, the bench would be filled out with Clement/Gimenez, Tyler Heineman, and then two of a group consisting of Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Davis Schneider, and Joey Loperfido. That kind of depth looks impressive on paper, especially when you consider that useful players could be pushed out, but that’s not exactly a bad problem to have.

For the Yankees, there’s an argument that their need for another bat is even stronger than it is in Toronto. They recently designated DJ LeMahieu for assignment and moved Jazz Chisholm from third base back to his natural position at second. However, they didn’t trust LeMahieu to handle the hot corner at this later stage of his career, instead rolling with Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas for the time being. It feels somewhat inevitable that the Yankees will look for an upgrade at third base, and a bat like Suarez’s could make a big difference for the Blue Jays’ stiffest competition in the division.

Adding Suarez to Aaron Boone’s lineup card makes a big difference as well. Here’s another hypothetical lineup card:

1- Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
2- Cody Bellinger (CF)
3- Aaron Judge (RF)
4- Eugenio Suarez (3B)
5- Jazz Chisholm (2B)
6- Giancarlo Stanton (DH)
7- Jasson Dominguez (LF)
8- Austin Wells (C)
9- Anthony Volpe (SS)

Like the Blue Jays, the Yankees probably have enough talent to get by without adding someone like Suarez, but getting by isn’t the kind of language that most eventual champions like to use.

The Blue Jays and Yankees won’t be the only teams that are looking at Suarez, or other potential impact players on this summer’s trade market, and that competition for limited help will drive the price up for sure.

There will always be a fine line when it comes to overpaying, especially for a rental player like Suarez. However, the fact that the Blue Jays are likely going to be competing against a division rival on this year’s trade market is a real factor, and something that I think Atkins and his team should and will consider. Whether that’s with something like Suarez, or likely with the handful of above-average starting available pitchers, rival teams likely know that they have at least some leverage to work with that way.

Is there an additional win for the Jays by keeping an impact bat like Suarez from New York? How much is that worth? I think those are fair questions, and at the very least, something to consider in the big picture of this year’s trade deadline. I suspect that right now the Blue Jays are likely prioritizing their needs with their pitching staff, but don’t be surprised if they look for one more impact bat to move the needle that way as well, especially if they can keep the Yankees from getting better at the same time.

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