Even after a couple of frantic days to start the weekend, there’s likely more to come for the Blue Jays.
The MLB Trade Deadline looms at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, just 35 minutes before first pitch flies between the Blue Jays and Orioles and everyone can exhale.
Let’s press pause and collect what’s happened so far, where the Blue Jays are now and what comes next:
Traded so far
Yimi García
Nate Pearson
Danny Jansen
García was the obvious candidate, and given Yusei Kikuchi’s struggles ahead of the Trade Deadline, García was the Blue Jays’ best shot at getting some legitimate upside back in a prospect among Toronto’s expiring deals.
Pearson was less expected. The Blue Jays’ former No. 1 prospect and the No. 8 prospect in MLB entering 2020 has been rebranded as a reliever and has struggled to a 5.63 ERA in 41 outings this season, but his upside is still so enticing, which is what the Cubs are taking a swing on.
Jansen is the emotional move, with manager John Schneider saying that Jansen, the organization’s longest-tenured player, is like a third son to him. He’s off to Boston to chase a championship, but the Blue Jays would like to explore bringing him back this offseason in free agency.
The new guys
OF Jonatan Clase (No. 7 prospect)
C Jacob Sharp
Clase is the biggest addition the Blue Jays have made ahead of the Trade Deadline. Clase immediately becomes one of the best athletes in the entire organization, and he is coming off a season in which he hit 20 home runs with 79 stolen bases in the Minor Leagues, an extremely unique accomplishment.
“There’s some swing-and-miss, but there’s also pretty good plate discipline, if that makes sense,” Schneider said. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword. He has surprising pop for a smaller guy and a switch-hitter, and he can do some things. Really working on the contact ability is what we’re focusing on with him. It’s a pretty unique skill set. He’s got some fast twitch, and if he can cut down on his swing-and-miss, it’s pretty interesting.”
Clase will start with Triple-A Buffalo, but he could join the Blue Jays very soon, especially if Kevin Kiermaier is dealt, and if those reps in left field and center open up down the stretch. Sharp, a 22-year-old catcher, has a .774 OPS over 44 games in Single-A this season. He’s headed to High-A Vancouver.
LF Yohendrick Pinango
SS Josh Rivera (No. 30 prospect)
Coming over in the Pearson trade, Pinango is another 22-year-old outfield prospect who will head to Double-A New Hampshire and will add to the club’s depth at that position. Pinango is primarily a left fielder, and he is hitting .263 with nine home runs and a .797 OPS between High-A and Double-A this season for the Cubs. The Blue Jays haven’t developed enough outfielders in recent years, and with playing time available down the stretch and in 2025, they’re starting to stack up some depth.
Rivera entered 2024 as the higher-ranked prospect of the two in Chicago’s system and is a strong fielder, but he has struggled in Double-A with a .169 average and a .537 OPS over 68 games. Rivera was a third-round pick just a year ago out of the University of Florida, though, and given the Blue Jays’ scouting presence in Florida, they surely have a good feel for Rivera and his potential upside.
INF Cutter Coffey (No. 27 prospect)
INF Eddinson Paulino (No. 19 prospect)
RHP Gilberto Batista
Both Coffey and Paulino are on the Blue Jays’ updated Top 30 Prospects list, helping to fill the gap of upper-Minors infield depth after a group recently graduated to Toronto, while Batista gives the club a young pitching project at just 19 years old.
Coffey is particularly interesting. The 2022 second-rounder is just 20 years old, and he is batting .238 with 14 home runs and a .784 OPS.
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