The Toronto Blue Jays were two outs away from winning the World Series last fall, only to let it slip away at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This season, they haven’t been able to put it all together. They are still just 4 1/2 games out in the American League wild card race, but are now seven games below .500 to start the second half.
The trade market seems to be favoring buyers this season, which is a departure from the last two years. The Blue Jays are close enough in the standings to buy if they want to.
Dayn Perry of CBS Sports lists them as a possible fit for Tarik Skubal, but that comes with a slight catch.
Dylan Cease is in the Cy Young mix in his first season with the Jays, but the rest of the Toronto rotation is in need of help,” Perry wrote. “Any eventual return of Max Scherzer doesn’t figure to help matters. Shane Bieber will always be an injury risk (and he’s been broadly ineffective this season), and rookie Trey Yesavage has struggled with consistency. The Jays have ground to make up if they’re going to get a shot at defending their American League pennant, and the addition of Skubal would give them perhaps the best one-two punch in all of baseball.”
Toronto Blue Jays’ Tarik Skubal Idea Comes With Catch
The catch is that the Blue Jays are going to have to make up ground if they really want a shot at making the playoffs. And if they don’t turn it around quick, then there really is no sense in trying to trade for Skubal, especially when he is essentially a two-month rental.
But if Toronto turns its season around, then perhaps they could be in the market for some rotation upgrades. They have had a lot of injuries this season, and some starters have struggled quite badly, which is what has them where they are right now.
However, as long as they remain close in the wild card race, an argument can be made for them buying instead of selling. If they don’t, then selling will likely be their best option for this season, and they’ll then turn their focus to bouncing back in 2027.
The pitching isn’t the only problem for Toronto, but it is perhaps the biggest issue plaguing them this season, so finding a way to fix it somehow will be important if they stay in the race.
Tarik Skubal Could Boost Toronto Blue Jays’ Rotation, If They Stay in The Race
The Blue Jays already have Dylan Cease at the top of their rotation, and while Trey Yesavage hasn’t quite been himself this year, he still has great potential. If Skubal is added to that mix, Toronto could then have three legitimate starters that could get them through the rest of the regular season and the postseason.
If they can play to their potential and get into the playoffs, they might be a threat to the Dodgers’ reign as World Series champions.
Blue Jays’ Tarik Skubal Trade Idea Comes with a Catch