The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball. They have turned things around this season and currently sit at 44-37 in the tight American League East. That record is good enough for just a 2.5 game deficit on the AL East-leading New York Yankees. Toronto will be a team to watch closely as MLB’s trade deadline gets closer.
Toronto could use a couple of things: first, another outfielder, and another potential depth starter to pair with Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt.
Lucky for the Blue Jays, there are numerous quality starters presumably on the market that they could acquire.
Trade Idea Sends Rangers’ Tyler Mahle to Toronto
In this trade proposal, the Toronto Blue Jays acquire starting pitcher Tyler Mahle from the Texas Rangers. Mahle is currently on the 15-day IL with right shoulder fatigue and hasn’t pitched since June 10th, but he has been effective when on the mound. In 14 starts, he has a 2.34 ERA in 77 innings. He’s given up just 60 hits in those 77 innings and has a WHIP of 1.13.
According to MLB insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, Mahle has a fair chance of being traded, and Toronto is listed as a potential destination.
While Mahle is recovering from a 2023 Tommy John Surgery, he seems to be thriving since then. He made just eight starts in 2023-2024, but already has 14 this season. However, this potential deal hinges on what the Rangers decide to do at the deadline.
Will the Rangers Be Sellers?
Assessing the Texas Rangers is tough because while they are 40-42 and have virtually had no offensive production all season, they still sit just a couple of games out of an American League Wild Card spot. We will likely have to wait and see how they perform during the next month or so to fully determine what their plans are. But, if they did want to sell, there would be plenty of suitors for a couple of their pieces. Aside from Mahle, outfielder Adolis Garcia may be made available.
The 2023 World Series Champion Rangers missed the playoffs last season and are in jeopardy of missing them again.
Why It Makes Sense for Toronto
As outlined earlier, the Toronto Blue Jays could use another depth starter to pair with Gausman and Bassitt. Jose Berrios has always been reliable, but he is up-and-down performance wise. Making a deal for Mahle would solidify their rotation as a true force. Toronto is getting great seasons out of some of their best players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer. After a couple of disappointing last few seasons, this is the perfect opportunity to go all in on the 2025 season.
Again, it’s still unclear what either team will decide to do at the deadline, but if Mahle is truly made available, expect Toronto to at least make some calls. Mahle is a free agent after this season, so the deal could be a rental trade, and the Blue Jays may not have to give up as much prospect capital as would be expected.
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