The Toronto Blue Jays could make a unique trade.
Toronto pulled off a blockbuster deal for Los Angeles Angels ace Jose Soriano for their second-ranked prospect Arjun Nimmala and two other prospects who aren’t in the top-30. It was a hefty price to pay, but Toronto wanted Soriano to pair with Dylan Cease to be the one-two punch for the next two years at least.
However, MLB insider Joel Sherman reported on X that the Blue Jays have received trade calls on Soriano, despite them acquiring him on Monday.
“Teams were calling the Angels on Jose Soriano and I have heard that has not stopped as now some are calling the Blue Jays. The trade deadline might get weirder,” Sherman wrote on X.
It would be odd for the Blue Jays to immediately flip Soriano after paying a hefty price. Yet, if a team does offer something insane, perhaps Toronto would entertain it, and some teams believe they could still land Soriano despite him already being traded once today.
Soriano has two more years of team control. The right-hander is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 22 starts this season with the Angels.
Blue Jays Handed Positive Grade for Soriano Deal
Toronto was going to be buyers and sellers at the deadline, as the Blue Jays were looking for controllable assets and dealing their pending free agents.
The Blue Jays dealt Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs and then acquired Soriano. Soriano was the big haul, and MLB analyst Zack Meisel of The Athletic gave Toronto an A- grade for the trade.
“The Blue Jays know what they’re getting in him, and that’s especially useful considering he has 2 1/2 years of team control. There’s other encouraging stuff beneath the hood, too. His hard-hit rate is way down this year, his strikeout rate is up. His whiff rate has soared,” Meisel wrote.
“Here’s why this is shrewd, though. The Blue Jays are getting a head start on homework they would have had this winter. No one likes a procrastinator. They’re reloading their rotation on the fly. They traded Kevin Gausman, who was an impending free agent. Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer are headed for the open market in a couple of months. Toronto is building around Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, and now Soriano (and eventually Cody Ponce), and that’s a strong group.”
Soriano will join a Blue Jays rotation that will look much different after the deadline.
Toronto Active on Trade Front
The Blue Jays have been one of the most active teams.
Toronto dealt Gausman to the Chicago Cubs for prospects CF Brett Bateman and SS Ty Southisene. The next deal the Blue Jays made was acquiring Soriano to bolster the rotation.
Then, the Blue Jays traded left-handed pitcher Adam Macko to the Texas Rangers for utility player Josh Smith and Triple-A starter Josh Stephan.
Smith won a Silver Slugger Award in 2024 and won the World Series in 2023. However, he’s struggled mightily. But is under control for two more years and adds some depth to the Blue Jays organization.
Blue Jays Reportedly Getting Trade Calls on Recently Acquired Ace Pitcher