The Toronto Blue Jays have entered August with meaningful September baseball in sight. The club made critical moves before the trade deadline to strengthen their roster, but given the current AL East competition, Toronto could have pushed for even more reinforcements.

The addition of Shane Bieber is significant, provided he returns healthy and can pitch at or above his baseline level. The arrival of Seranthony Domínguez and Louis Varland also gives a notable boost to a vulnerable bullpen.

This season, the entire Blue Jays pitching staff has posted a 4.28 ERA, while the bullpen holds a 4.09 ERA, a number that has gone up recently in a rough series against the Dodgers. This raises the question: Could Toronto have added more relief depth for the playoff push? 

Acquiring a top arm like the ones mentioned below would have cost the Jays some serious prospect or MLB-ready level talent, and rightfully so. However, for a team looking to contend this season, here are three players the Jays could have pursued this trade deadline to bolster the bullpen for their postseason push this year.

Closers are among the hardest players to acquire in baseball. Fortunately, Toronto already has Jeff Hoffman, with his 47 1/3 innings pitched, 26 saves, four blown saves, a 4.56 ERA, and a .216 opponent batting average.

However, Mason Miller could have been a game-changing addition. The former Athletics star, now with the San Diego Padres, ranks 13th among MLB closers in the save category, but that can mostly be attributed to the A’s not giving their star many opportunities to save games. Miller boasts a powerhouse arsenal—a fastball reaching 102 mph, a darting slider, and a deceptive changeup.

The Padres paid a high price to acquire him, sending top prospect Leo De Vries and three prospect pitchers in the trade, while also acquiring left-hander JP Sears alongside the fireball closer. While expensive in prospect capital, pairing Miller with Hoffman could have created a lethal late-inning duo to lock down postseason games that would be unmatched compared to the rest of the Major Leagues.

Jhoan Duran, now the closer for the Philadelphia Phillies after being acquired from Minnesota, could also have been a strong fit for Toronto. Known for his electric stuff, Duran features a 97 mph splitter, a fastball topping 100 mph, and a sharp curveball. He has been one of the most dominant relievers in the game since making his debut in 2022, and owns a 2.43 ERA through 236 2/3 big league innings.

He was closing games in his first year in the big leagues and became the go-to arm late for the Twins in 2023, with 77 career saves under his belt so far.

This season, Duran has posted 19 saves in 52 1/3 innings. While expensive—likely costing two top prospects, a utility player, and possibly a reliever—he would have given the Blue Jays another elite closing option alongside Hoffman.

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