With every win, the Toronto Blue Jays get a little bit closer to becoming trade deadline buyers.
Though Toronto lost on Tuesday night, they've still managed to creep above .500 over the last week. Entering play on Wednesday, they're 31-29, trailing the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners by just 1 1/2 games for the final American League playoff spot.
It's a high-stakes season for the Blue Jays, who have a handful of big names slated for free agency this offseason. They could sell for a second straight year if things go south, but they'd much rather put themselves in a position to push for October.
To get there, one baseball analyst thinks they could do with another starting pitcher, perhaps even one with a recent World Series ring.
In a recent YouTube video, content creator Robbie Hyde named Pittsburgh Pirates starter Andrew Heaney as the top prospective Blue Jays trade target. Heaney was a member of the 2023 World Champion Texas Rangers.
"If they buy, I think Andrew Heaney would be a solid addition here," Hyde said. "Max Scherzer's been out with a thumb injury, and they only rank 21st overall in Fangraphs starting pitching wins above replacement."
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It's been an impressive start to the year for Heaney, who turns 34 on Thursday. He's managed a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts despite a 4.44 FIP and only 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He struck out more batters in Texas, but he was also giving up 1.5 more hits per nine.
By the trade deadline, Heaney will have either solidified himself as a desirable target or regressed a bit based on batted ball luck. Toronto might focus on other names, but they do have a noticeable shortage of lefties all over the pitching staff.
Heaney is on a one-year, $5.25 million contract that should be no issue for any contender to swallow.
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