The Toronto Blue Jays have the All-Star Game in the rearview mirror. The AL Stars defeated the NL Stars, in no small part thanks to the contributions of Toronto’s Dylan Cease and Ernie Clement. Cease struck out the side as the starter, while Clement was key in blanking their opponents, specifically with a key defensive play late in the game. With the All-Star Game behind them and the trade deadline ahead, there is Blue Jays news regarding Isaiah Magdaleno.
There is much speculation surrounding Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller. Several landing spots have been speculated. However, until the calendar nears the trade deadline, everything is merely smoke and conjecture.
Here is what you need to know about an exciting addition to the Blue Jays organization with Magdaleno, along with some Blue Jays-related trade rumors.
Toronto Blue Jays Sign Isaiah Magdaleno
Hawaii Baseball announced on Monday, July 13th, that the Blue Jays had signed Magdaleno as a college free agent.
According to his Baseball America profile, Magdaleno is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound, 21-year-old right-handed pitcher. During the 2026 season, he started in 15 NCAA games. In those starts, he recorded a 2.36 ERA, two shutouts, a 0.92 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts in 95.1 innings.
Additionally, he finished with a 7-5 win-loss record.
Magdaleno’s ‘Swing-and-Miss’ Pitching Arsenal
In addition to those impressive pitching stats, Magdaleno brings a lethal arsenal of pitches to the mound. Baseball America has a brief scouting report on the youngster that sheds light on the situation.
“Magdaleno earned third-team All-America honors after posting a 2.36 ERA with 116 strikeouts and 31 walks across 95.1 innings as a junior in 2026,” the report begins. “While he lacks traditional power stuff, sitting just 87-88 mph and touching 91, Magdaleno maximizes his fastball through above-average carry and extension that allow the pitch to play beyond its velocity.”
“His signature offering is an extremely effective upper-70s splitter that generated a 54% miss rate in 2026 and serves as one of the premier swing-and-miss pitches in the transfer portal.”
In addition to the fastball and splitter, the report reveals three other pitches.
“He complements it with a mid-70s, two-plane curveball while also mixing in a slider and cutter, though both are used sparingly,” the report reveals.
While having two great pitches is one thing, he will need another to be a viable MLB starter. It’s up to the Blue Jays’ development staff and Magdaleno to work in tandem to develop at least one more pitch in order to turn that into a reality.
Blue Jays News: Buyers or Sellers For the Trade Deadline?
The biggest question facing the Blue Jays for the next 19 days until the trade deadline is a simple one: are they buyers or sellers?
The lazy answer is “let’s wait and see.” However, the more truthful answer is that there is a greater probability that they are buyers than sellers. Even if they are on the outside looking in as the deadline approaches, they will be buyers.
Toronto made it all the way to the World Series last year. The only way that they are not buyers at this year’s trade deadline is if the bottom falls out completely. In other words, there needs to be a near-zero percent chance of them making the postseason.
In a worst-case scenario, if they sell, they have some valuable players that contenders would be interested in. Jeff Hoffman, Shane Bieber, Patrick Corbin, Daulton Varsho, George Springer, and Kevin Gausman are examples of players that could depart if that ends up being the case.
However, if the best-case scenario happens, and they are firmly in a playoff spot at the deadline, things get exciting for the team and fans. They certainly need both starters and relievers to make a deep playoff run. The Blue Jays could also add a few more bats with some utility in the field.
One way or another, it should be an interesting couple of weeks leading up to the deadline.
Blue Jays Score New 6-Foot-3 ‘Swing-and-Miss’ Arm Amid Looming Trade Deadline