The Toronto Blue Jays could look to trade for an impact slugger to help fix the offense.
Toronto is off to a slow start, and a key reason why is that the offense has struggled. Superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t been hitting for power. George Springer, Daulton Varsho, and other key players have also struggled offensively.
If Toronto is going to go on a deep playoff run, the Blue Jays could use an impact bat, and Blue Jays insider Mitch Bannon of The Athletic believes Toronto could look at trading for Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres.
“Historically, this Toronto front office hasn’t gone big-game hunting for bats at the trade deadline, acquiring Ty France last year and Paul DeJong in 2023. Whit Merrifield, acquired in 2022, is basically the biggest fish they’ve caught,” Bannon wrote.
“A righty slugger like Gleyber Torres, with a career .497 SLG against lefties, would certainly help fix Toronto’s issue. But, on a smaller scale, so could a platoon outfielder like Lane Thomas. Both Torres and Thomas are pending free agents who play for AL Central teams seemingly destined to sell at the deadline.”
Torres could fill a major need, as he could be the team’s starting second baseman, which would put Ernie Clement as a utility player, which is where he thrived last season. Or, he could be used as the shortstop. That would force Andres Gimenez to the bench, as he has struggled massively at the plate this season.
Torres is hitting .258 with 3 home runs and 12 RBIs this season in just 33 games as he’s dealing with injuries. His career-high is 38 home runs, which he accomplished in 2019 with the New York Yankees. Meanwhile, he’s had 20+ home runs four times in his career.
Torres is a Prime Trade Candidate
GettyBlue Jays could pursue a trade for Gleyber Torres
Torres returned to the Tigers after accepting the one-year qualifying offer.
Yet, with the Tigers well out of a playoff spot, Detroit is expected to be sellers at the trade deadline. Although he dealt with injuries this season, he returned to the lineup on June 1. In his return, he hit a home run.
Now, Tigers insider Mark Powell of FanSided expects Torres to be dealt before the trade deadline so Detroit can recoup some assets.
“I’m a fan of what Torres brings to the Tigers’ lineup,” Powell wrote. “They are not a very patient team in general, and did little to address that this past winter. The one thing Scott Harris did do is sign Torres to a qualifying offer, which the second baseman took after perusing the market. This means Gleyber is on an expiring contract, which could prove quite valuable to the Tigers if they’re looking to sell off assets at the trade deadline. …
“Assuming Torres returns to full strength in the months to come, don’t be surprised if he’s mentioned in trade talks.”
If Torres is indeed made available, several playoff teams would be interested in him, which should net the Tigers a solid prospect.
Blue Jays Confident in Group
Despite Toronto being below .500, the Blue Jays are confident the team will turn it around.
After a 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves in the series opener, starting pitcher Kevin Gausman felt like the team would get back on track soon.
“Every year is different,” Gausman said postgame. “Last year I didn’t know when we were [going to] hit our stride. But it felt like we were kind of on the right path. This year has been a lot different because we’ve lost a lot of guys. It’s asking a lot of guys to do things that maybe they haven’t been asked to do. That was last year, as well. It just wasn’t [because of] injuries. You feel confident in the group. We just have to play a little better.”
The Blue Jays are 29-32 and are now 1 game out of a Wild Card spot.
Insider Connects Blue Jays to 38-Home Run Slugger to Fill Major Need