By Canadian Press

Blue Jays looking to add pitching depth and a veteran bat at MLB trade deadline

Jul 30, 2023 | 7:15 AM

TORONTO — The players and coaches in the Toronto Blue Jays’ clubhouse are getting used to being buyers ahead of Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.

Toronto holds the third and final wild-card spot in the American League and, with a four-game series starting on Monday against the division-leading Baltimore Orioles, an AL East title is also a possibility. That means the Blue Jays are looking to add rather than subtract before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline.

Toronto manager John Schneider said his players are good about handling the sometimes chaotic period ahead of the trade deadline.

“We’re comfortable with the team we have and I think they all just want to play more consistently,” said Schneider. “They obviously understand the outside noise and things like that but any addition is welcome.”

Schneider said that it’s virtually impossible for major leaguers to avoid all the trade news, however.

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“Just because it’s on so much,” said Schneider, gesturing to one of the two TVs in his office tuned to MLB Network. “You see (the Chicago White Sox) moving guys and a couple more, you know, here and there.

“You follow along a little bit and see who’s doing what.”

The Blue Jays will certainly get some help at the deadline thanks to the returns of starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu and reliever Chad Green from the 60-day injured list. Both are recovering from Tommy John surgery they had last season, with Ryu scheduled to face Baltimore on Tuesday in the second game of their crucial four-game series.

Green is not yet scheduled to join Toronto’s bullpen, but will likely be ready by mid-August.

That has made the job of Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins more straightforward.

“Every team in contention is trying to add a reliever and then every team in contention is trying to add some level of starting pitching depth,” said Atkins on July 19.

“There’s different ways to do that. I think we’re in a relatively strong position but we need to work to improve as well.”

The Blue Jays did add left-handed reliever Genesis Cabrera in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals on July 21 for minor-league catcher Sammy Hernandez. Atkins noted before that deal that adding a lefty to his right-dominated bullpen would be one way to add depth.

Beyond pitching, Atkins said there was room to improve Toronto’s offence without touching its impressive infield.

“Right now, as we’re constructed, we are better suited for a right-handed bat,” said Atkins. “We are open to any way that we can make our team better, but I think there might be a slight lean to a right-handed bat. 

“We have the benefit of not necessarily thinking that he has to play a certain position because of the versatility that we have with (utility players) Cavan Biggio, Daulton Varsho, and Whit Merrifield.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2023.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press