The Toronto Blue Jays have turned themselves into a contender and could be looking to load up on talent at the trade deadline. The team could target relievers.
The Blue Jays have a 3.72 bullpen ERA. However, they could benefit from adding some more arms to the group as they look to make a deep run in October. FanSided's Christopher Kline proposed this trade that would bring Griffin Jax and Jhoan Durán to Toronto from the Minnesota Twins.
- Blue Jays receive: RHP Jhoan Durán and RHP Griffin Jax
- Twins receive: RHP Khal Stephen (No. 5 prospect), LHP Kendry Rojas (No. 6 prospect) and 2B/OF Sam Shaw (No. 26 prospect)
"Both Durán and Jax are under contract through 2027, meaning the Twins face very little pressure to pull the trigger on a deal unless it's undeniable in quality," wrote Kline. "Toronto does not sacrifice its very best prospects here, but Khal Stephen and Kendry Rojas — a pair of 22-year-olds with Double-A New Hampshire right now — are both trending up in a big way. Minnesota gets a pair of future starters, a righty and a lefty, to mold in their strong development program, along with a potential utility bat in 20 year-old Sam Shaw."
Durán would be the headline player going to the Blue Jays. He has a 1.86 ERA and 16 saves on the year. He has a 2.44 career ERA and would step in as the new closer for the team. Jax has a 4.00 ERA, but had a 2.03 ERA last year and a 3.23 ERA since 2022.
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"This has been a horridly unlucky season for Jax, whose 4.00 ERA does not do justice to his incredible swing-and-miss stuff," wrote Kline. "He's in the 99th percentile for both strikeout and whiff rate. It's only a matter of time until Jax's ERA regresses to the mean and the numbers start to mirror his elite talent. A better situation in Toronto, will more help in the field and at the plate, should amplify Jax quite well."
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