The Toronto Blue Jays are in the middle of a series against the Houston Astros, but it’s never too early to think about the trade deadline. The biggest name to watch out for during this year’s trade deadline will be the Detroit Tigers‘ Tarik Skubal. However, the latest Blue Jays news regarding Sean Keys could factor into the team’s deadline plans.
The Blue Jays have yet to find their stride this season, and having a solid stretch of baseball between now and the trade deadline is paramount. The New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Cleveland Guardians are all ahead of the Blue Jays in the standings. If Toronto doesn’t get going soon, things will stay that way (or potentially get worse).
Here is what you need to know about how Sean Keys could play into the Blue Jays trade deadline and the latest on the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes.
Toronto Blue Jays News: Sean Keys on the Block?
In a recent podcast appearance, MLB insider Mitch Bannon discussed Keys’ fit on the Blue Jays. He believes the path for Keys to become a Blue Jays regular could lead to his being traded.
“The reason he’s interesting (Sean Keys) is, we all know the Blue Jays have a first baseman,” Bannon said. “They have a first baseman they’ve paid for the next 14 years and paid $500 million for, and that guy is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. They have a DH too, in George Springer. There isn’t really a path for Keys to get up here (Toronto).”
“But he is a guy, as we are turning our attention to trade deadline season, that I think the Jays could be looking to move. I don’t know if he’s the key to being good enough for a Tarik Skubal trade, but if the Jays make a move, Sean Keys is the prospect to watch.”
While injuries could certainly play a role, it’s likely that Keys doesn’t factor into an everyday role with the Blue Jays in the near future.
Keys is letting his play do the talking so far this season. In 65 minor league games this year, Keys has recorded 64 hits, 18 home runs, 14 doubles, and 48 RBIs. Additionally, he’s stolen seven bases while owning a .282 batting average.
While it’s surprising to consider trading a prospect that is lighting up pitchers in the minor leagues, the path to the MLB isn’t clear for Keys while he remains within the Blue Jays organization.
The Latest on Tarik Skubal
The Athletic recently published its trade board for the 2026 trade deadline. Making it to the top of the list is none other than Skubal.
“The results haven’t been amazing since Skubal came back from surgery to remove particles from his elbow, but the underlying stuff seems unchanged,” reports the outlet. “In terms of movement, spin, velocity, and pitch mix, he’s been as dominant as ever. So if the Tigers decide to sell, they’ll be able to get a big honking haul of prospects for their ace.”
Additionally, Robert Murray of FanSided has listed the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Rays as the best fits for Skubal’s services. Another report from Sports Talk ATL cites that many MLB executives believe the Atlanta Braves are a sleeper to make a Skubal trade.
Either way, it will be an exciting few weeks to see what happens on the Skubal front.
Blue Jays in on Skubal?
Of course, Blue Jays fans are wondering whether Skubal is a potential option for the team. Unfortunately, Ross Atkins’ recent comments suggest that it is not the case.
Atkins spoke to the media on June 23rd and revealed that starting pitching was their top priority for the trade deadline. However, he specifically mentioned “optionable starting pitching.”
That description does not fit Skubal.
“It’s probably starting pitching, but it’s not as easy as just deciding to do that because we have five starters that we’re confident in,” Atkins said via MLB.com. “We’ve talked about that a lot over the years and over this year, specifically, as we started heavy in that category. We’re just always looking to support that.”
“In an ideal world, it would be optionable starting pitching, one of the hardest things to acquire in baseball.”
Now, they could turn around and trade for Skubal five minutes after I publish this. However, a rental does not appear to be at the top of the Blue Jays to-do list at this point in time. They have several starters already on expiring deals, and adding a pitcher that benefits the team in the short and long-term appears to be the top priority.
This will be one of the biggest storylines for Blue Jays fans to pay attention to as we march closer to the trade deadline.
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