logo
Examining Blue Jays trade rumours a week out from the trade deadline
alt
Photo credit: © Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jul 27, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 27, 2026, 13:59 EDT
Comments
The 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline is just a week away.
After falling just shy of winning the World Series last season, the Toronto Blue Jays have a 48-58 record, sitting in the basement of the American League East and are five and a half games back of the final wild card spot.
With how they’re trending and their offensive struggles all season, it seems as if the Blue Jays are going to be active before the deadline. It definitely won’t be like the 2025 deadline, and they may take a different approach than they did in 2024. 
Let’s take a look at some rumours regarding the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays seen as sellers by executives

So the biggest question is what are the Blue Jays going to do ahead of August 3rd’s 6:00 PM ET deadline. Being so far out of a playoff spot, selling before the deadline is almost a given at this point.
According to The New York Posts’ Joel Sherman on Saturday, the executives believe that the Blue Jays front office already know this season is lost. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith noted on Friday before the beginning of the Boston Red Sox series that the Jays hadn’t made up their mind.  However, the Blue Jays ended up dropping two of three to their American League East rival, and Nicholson-Smith also reported that executives see the Blue Jays as a seller.
Similar sentiments were echoed by this Fansided article written by Robert Murray.
Moreover, Nicholson-Smith noted in this Sportsnet article on Monday is that it’s unlikely that this year’s sell-off will be as big as the 2024 trade deadline. They essentially aren’t going to make a trade to make a trade.
Another interesting path the Jays could take is a hybrid strategy, selling off expiring contracts, but also acquiring controllable players for 2027 and beyond. In a bold prediction article for The Athletic, Mitch Bannon predicts that they’ll add a starter with control, naming José Soriano and Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels and Nick Lodolo of the Cincinnati Reds as options.
Of course, that’s just a prediction, but it’s an approach that the Blue Jays could take to put them in a spot to contend in 2027. A good example of a hybrid trade strategy before the deadline is the Tampa Bay Rays, who sent Taj Bradley to the Minnesota Twins for Griffin Jax last season in a need-for-need move. They also sold traditionally, sending José Caballero to the New York Yankees for a prospect, and Danny Jansen to the Milwaukee Brewers. 
If the Blue Jays take this approach, they’d be punting this season as contenders, but be ready to go for it again next season. Most of the players they’ll trade are in the final year of their contract.

Latest on players with an expiring contract

Another big question is who could be traded. There are a handful of players on expiring contracts, namely Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, Shane Bieber, and George Springer. This list also includes Max Scherzer and Yimi García, but both pitchers have dealt with injuries for most of this season.
The latest on Gausman is that he wants to remain with the Blue Jays, something he noted after his start on Sunday afternoon. Gausman has an eight-team no-trade list and was listed as a fit for the Atlanta Braves, the Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs in this big board article released by The Athletic.
Jim Bowden also linked Gausman to the Braves in this article for The Athletic. Additionally, he linked Varsho to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The other Pennsylvania-based team, the Philadelphia Phillies, were also linked to Varsho by both The Athletic in their trade deadline big board, as well as Bob Nightengale in this USA Today article.
In this article for The Athletic, Bannon reported that Varsho still has value even with his tough year, and he’s unlikely to re-sign. Of course, Varsho is eligible for a qualifying offer, and according to Keegan Matheson in his most recent MLB.com article, Keegan Matheson, if the Jays plan on giving him one perhaps they should hold on to him, and if not, trade him.
Matheson also appeared on Toronto Sports Rush on Monday morning, where he had some notes about Bieber, Scherzer, and Springer. You can watch that interview here.

Rumours regarding players with control

In that same MLB.com article, Matheson noted that Myles Straw could be a trade candidate if the Blue Jays don’t plan on taking his team option. Every contending team needs a late-game replacement who is defensively minded and has speed on the bases.
This doesn’t quite pertain to the trade deadline, but Nicholson-Smith noted in his Sportsnet article on Monday that Jesús Sánchez could be a non-tender candidate. The Jays have a plethora of left-handed batting outfielders, so it’d make sense to move him if the option is there.
Jeff Hoffman is another Blue Jay seen as a trade candidate, ranking on The Athletic’s trade deadline big board. They linked him to the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies. Interestingly, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale also reported that the Phillies would love to have Hoffman return.
Lastly, ESPN’s Jeff Passan answered questions on Threads on Monday morning. One question, “how many players will the Blue Jays sell” was answered by Passan. On top of Gausman and Varsho, Passan reported that a couple or relievers could be moved, including Yimi García who is once again appearing in rehab outings.
The 2026 MLB trade deadline is at 6:00 PM MT on Monday, August 3rd. While they may not be as busy as the 2024 season, expect the Blue Jays to be active.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
News
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News