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Examining the Blue Jays’ top trade candidates
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Photo credit: © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jul 12, 2026, 15:30 EDTUpdated: Jul 12, 2026, 17:47 EDT
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Entering the All-Star break with a sub .500 record, the Toronto Blue Jays are inching closer and closer to selling.
On Friday, they shipped Tommy Nance and some international free agent bonus pool money to the Minnesota Twins for catching prospect Ryan Sprock. That move in itself isn’t waving the white flag, as Nance is a low-leverage arm and the Jays got an intriguing prospect in return.
That said, a 3-7 home stand and a west coast road trip that they’re currently 4-4 on has leaned the Blue Jays more towards selling. It may not happen, of course, as the Jays are still just a game and a half behind the final wild card spot, but the team just hasn’t looked very good all season.
If they do end up selling, here are some players that could be traded.

Expiring contracts

Using the disastrous 2024 season as a template, the Blue Jays mainly traded away soon-to-be free agents such as Danny Jansen, Justin Turner, Yimi García, and Yusei Kikuchi. That said, they traded Nate Pearson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, two players with more than one year on their contract.
If the deal is right, the Jays have shown a willingness to move players with term, but if they do sell, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, and Kevin Gausman are the likely candidates to be moved.
Springer is just one season removed from being one of the better hitters in baseball, as he slashed .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs in 586 plate appearances last season. His season was one of the surprising ones as well, as it looked as if he was on the decline.
Unfortunately, it’s been a tough season for the designated hitter, slashing just .218/.303/.374 with nine home runs in 293 plate appearances for a 91 wRC+, on pace to be the worst season of his career. 
There’s likely still value on the market, but not nearly as much as there would be if he played like he did last season. Then again, the Jays likely wouldn’t be sellers if he (and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) played like they did in 2025.
Daulton Varsho is another soon-to-be free agent who took a step back last season. The outfielder missed a large part of 2025 with injury, but smacked 20 home runs in just 271 plate appearances. So far this season, he’s slashing just .240/.309/.389 with seven home runs in 304 plate appearances, good for a 94 wRC+.
What’s worse is that Varsho’s defence has also been in decline. In 640.2 innings in the outfield, Varsho has -1 Defensive Runs Saved, 3 Outs Above Average, and 2 Fielding Run Value. For context, he had 10 DRS, 9 OAA, and 6 FRV in 550.1 innings playing the outfield last season.
Still, Varsho is a power-hitting centre fielder with a track record of good defence, even if he hasn’t quite been there this season.
Kevin Gausman is arguably the most valuable trade asset the Jays have. Over 106.1 innings of work, the veteran righty had a 4.32 ERA and 3.75 FIP in his 19 starts, with a 24.3 K% and 6.5 BB%. Like Varsho and Springer, there are downsides with Gausman as well, as he has a 4.77 ERA and 4.14 FIP over his last 17 starts.
Despite his struggles, Gausman’s ability to go 6+ innings while striking out seven a game would be valuable to a contender.
There are a few other players who are set to become free agents who have far less value than the three. Chief among them is Shane Bieber, who the Blue Jays acquired less than a year ago when they were buying.
Bieber has spent much of the season hurt, appearing in just four games since being activated from the injured list. In those four games, he’s surrendered seven home runs over 17.2 innings of work, with an 11.6 BB% and 15.1 K%. The right-handed pitcher has looked nothing like the pitcher he was last season, much less like the pitcher he was when he won the 2020 American League Cy Young.
He probably still has a bit of value, albeit not much. The same cannot be said for Yimi García, Max Scherzer, and Patrick Corbin. García hasn’t pitched in a big league since July 2nd, 2025, as he’s missed all of this season with elbow, neck, and bicep injuries.
For Scherzer, it’s been a combination of both poor play and injuries. The future Hall of Famer has a 10.23 ERA and 8.78 FIP over his six starts, with just two of those starts going beyond the fourth inning. When he hasn’t been on the mound, he’s been injured, and most recently pitched in a rehab game with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Corbin, signed to fill in the rotation due to the many injuries, has appeared in 17 games this season and has a 5.07 ERA and 4.61 FIP in 76.1 innings of work. The veteran lefty won’t have much value, if any at all.

Unlikely to be traded

Two years ago, the Jays showed the willingness to trade players with term despite not intending to rebuild. However, it came at a price. Pearson was still in his arbitration years, and he was moved for Josh Rivera and Yohendrick Piñango, the latter making his big league debut earlier this season.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa also had a year left on his deal, but the Blue Jays shipped him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Charles McAdoo, another prospect who made his debut earlier this season.
The question is, do the Blue Jays have players with term who could be shipped off? The best candidate is Jeff Hoffman, who has a year left on his deal following the 2026 season. While his 4.24 ERA is rather high, Hoffman had a 2.63 ERA with a 36 K% and 8.4 BB%. He’s been incredibly unlucky this season, and would be a good fit for a contender’s bullpen.
Tyler Rogers is another candidate, though the 35-year-old is on a three-year deal worth $37 million, which expires following the 2028 season. Still, the submarine pitcher carries a 1.69 ERA and 3.03 FIP after 44 outings. The Jays may need to eat some money, but Rogers holds value as one of the better performing relievers since 2021.
Rogers has a vesting option for a fourth year, while Myles Straw has a team option for the 2027 and 2028 seasons worth $8 million. He wouldn’t fetch a ton, but the speedy, defence-first outfielder gives solid at-bats and is the fifth outfielder contenders look for. Just two years ago, the Blue Jays traded Kevin Kiermaier to the Dodgers for this exact role.
It seems improbable that the Blue Jays can trade Andrés Giménez. Not only is he having a pretty rough season with the bat (albeit with good defence), the shortstop’s extension worth just over $23.5 million annually is set to kick in next season. It’d be another situation where they’d need to eat some money.
If the Jays plan to get full value with no intention to contend in 2027, a player like Ernie Clement could be on the move. It seems highly unlikely unless a team gives up a significant package, but a contender could be interested in a strong defensive infielder who is near the top of the league-lead for doubles.
As it stands, it’s unclear whether or not the Blue Jays will sell. Even though they’re below .500, they’re still in the mix, and with expectations following the 2025 season, they may end up going for it even if it’s not the right decision.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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