Toronto Blue Jays poised to be sellers at trade deadline: experts

As the MLB trade deadline approaches, Toronto Blue Jays legend José Bautista is among those who say the team may find themselves in an awkward and uncomfortable situation.

In just 10 days, the trade deadline will pass and the Blue Jays will likely see several new faces on their roster.

Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling told CityNews that the Blue Jays are expected to be sellers ahead of the deadline.

“I think they could be pretty active just because they have a lot of players to move, and it’s a market where there aren’t that many sellers,” he said.

“This MLB season has been dominated by teams stuck in the murky middle, and with the expanded playoffs, many teams remain competitive late into the season. Baseball wants engaged, active markets, but that has left many teams on the fence about buying or selling. The Blue Jays are pretty firmly in the selling camp.”

On July 12, the Jays placed four-time Gold Glove outfielder Kevin Kiermaier on waivers. The news broke when Kiermaier was on the field during a game against the San Francisco Giants. Kiermaier cleared waivers and continues to play with the team during their home stand, but Zwelling said he believes Kiermaier won’t remain a Blue Jay after the trade deadline.

“It’s unlikely,” Zwelling said.

“He is one of several pending free agents, and the Blue Jays are in a position to likely subtract more than add. Guys like Kiermaier, Kikuchi, Garcia, and Justin Turner are rental players that could be available to buying teams.

“Given their current playoff odds, the Blue Jays are positioned to trade some of these players and try to recoup some value.”

As rumours continue to swirl, the Jays have lost nine of their last twelve home games and have less than a three-per-cent chance of making the playoffs as of July 20.

“It’s a little strange,” Bautista told CityNews about being in a clubhouse during the trade deadline.

“It’s a dynamic that you know is coming because it’s part of the territory, but it’s also annoying like a little mosquito in your ear that you want to swat away.”

“Sometimes it’s complimentary to know that other teams may want you, but maybe your situation is great and you don’t want to change it.

“The Jays have great players. Maybe the results haven’t been as consistent as they can be, but the potential is there for these guys to be a playoff team year after year. Hopefully, they can figure out a way to continue playing with this core, keep them together, and just add rather than trade people away.”

Bautista, who was brought to the Blue Jays in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, officially retired as a member of the Blue Jays last year when he signed a one-day contract with the club and was enshrined in the Level of Excellence at the Rogers Centre. He recently signed another deal, but this time it’s with Canadian-owned brand Mary Brown’s Chicken.

“I’ve been looking for different ways to get back into the Toronto community and figure out a way to add value and give back,” Bautista said. “Connecting with different partners, like Mary Brown’s, is interesting. It’s not every day you meet companies and people you align with.”