Blue Jays plan to be buyer as MLB trade deadline approaches, GM says
With the baseball calendar entering its July portion of the schedule, MLB's trade deadline will be front and centre.
And with it comes the inevitable season of rumours.
Much like last year's trade deadline, the Jays will be in Baltimore later this month. Unlike last year, the Jays plan to be buyers in the days and even hours leading up to July 31.
Recall last year's hectic slate that would see every pending free agent moved, beginning with reliever Yimi Garcia being shipped to Seattle. Names such as Kevin Kiermaier, Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi and Danny Jansen were also jettisoned.
Blue Jays bullpen locks down series win at Fenway, Yankees up next
Opportunity awaits for Blue Jays to turn Yankees series into a Canada Day party
At the time, the Jays weren't good and looked to bring back as many prospects as possible.
Fast-forward to this season and the Jays are good. In fact, with the New York Yankees in town for a four-game series, the possibility exists for the Jays to emerge as divisional leaders in the AL East.
For now, the club will be looking to add ahead of the trade deadline, according to general manager Ross Atkins. His monthly gathering with the media was conducted in the hours leading up to Monday's series opener against the Bronx Bombers.
Given the financial clout of Rogers, money won't be a problem. The club also has some interesting prospects to dangle.
Admittedly, Atkins said improving the pitching staff is among the team's to-do list, as is adding a right-handed bat.
Monday's starter in Max Scherzer was making only his third start for the Jays and second at home following a thumb injury the veteran sustained in his debut with the club.
Another off-season acquisition Atkins was able to attract was Anthony Santander, who remains on the injured list. The GM confided the switch-hitting slugger experienced a subluxation of his shoulder, which in layman's term means Santander had his shoulder pop in and out.
Per Atkins, Santander has yet to resume swinging a bit, but could soon progress to the level where he can take hacks. With the all-star break right around the corner, Atkins said a return to the big leagues for Santander has not been ruled out.
Like anything shrouded in uncertainty, only time will tell when it applies to Santander.
The injury bug has bit the Blue Jays, but the team has persevered through the adversity.
Bo Bichette has been among baseball's best, his pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning against the host Texas Rangers credited for helping ignite the Jays to their run.
Midway through his round of batting practice Monday, Bichette walked off the field with manager John Schneider behind the team's starting shortstop and leadoff hitter. A few hours later, it was announce Bichette would be scratched from the lineup because of right knee discomfort.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
18 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Diamondbacks snap a 4-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Giants
PHOENIX (AP) — Alek Thomas went 3 for 3 with two runs scored, Ryne Nelson struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. One pitch after Nelson was pulled in the seventh after exceeding his pitch count, Tyler Fitzgerald sent a shot to the warning track in center — just past a diving Thomas — to score two runs and tie it at 2. The Diamondbacks answered with a run in the seventh on Geraldo Perdomo's bloop single to score Thomas. A controversial call for fan interference came in the top of the eighth on Christian Koss' deep shot to left-center field, resulting in a ground-rule double. John Curtiss struck out Rafael Devers and Shelby Miller came in to get Heliot Ramos looking. Eugenio Suarez added a solo shot in the eighth — his 11th home run in June. The Giants have lost three in a row. Nelson allowed two earned runs and five hits, while not giving up a walk. Curtiss (1-0) got his first win of the season and Miller earned his first career four-out save. Diamondbacks pitchers combined to hold the 1-2-3 hitters to 1 for 12 with seven strikeouts. San Francisco stater Logan Webb (7-6) allowed three earned runs and seven hits, while striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings. Key moment San Francisco manager Bob Melvin was ejected in the ninth inning after arguing with the home plate umpire. Key stat Webb allowed just his seventh home run of the season when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 11th in the sixth for a 2-0 lead. Up next Arizona will start RHP Zac Gallen (5-9, 5.75 ERA) on Tuesday night against the Giants, who he has beaten twice in a row with a 0.75 ERA. San Francisco will go with RHP Hayden Birdsong (0-0, 4.13 ERA). ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Max Scherzer Had Four Words After Leaving Yankees Game Early
Max Scherzer Had Four Words After Leaving Yankees Game Early originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer made just his third start of the 2025 MLB season on Monday. Signed to a one-year, $15.5 million contract by Toronto in the offseason, Scherzer was sidelined just three innings into his season debut with a thumb injury that ended up costing him nearly three months on the injured list. Advertisement Returning from injury against the Cleveland Guardians last week, Scherzer went five innings and made 83 pitches. The veteran right-hander surrendered six hits and three earned runs, but the most important news was him exiting the game healthy and without any thumb issues. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31)© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Facing the New York Yankees on Monday, Scherzer returned to the mound for his third start of the season. After throwing 83 pitches against Cleveland, Scherzer told reporters he could have thrown about 10 more, which indicated the possibility of more length his next outing (via Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet). Instead, Scherzer exiting on Monday after just 71 pitches. Making this even more strange, the three-time Cy Young Award winner was pitching well. He has surrendered just three hits and two runs while striking out seven batters and not issuing a walk. Advertisement Following what ended up being his departure from the game, Scherzer reportedly told manager John Schneider, "I think that's it." This indicated he removed himself from the game. Speaking with reporters after the 5-4 win, Schneider said Scherzer is dealing with fatigue in his thumb (via Keegan Matheson of In 13 innings of work this season, Scherzer owns a 4.85 ERA wit 12 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP. An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer is second only to his former teammate Justin Verlander in strikeouts among active pitchers. A future Hall of Fame pitcher, Scherzer is now 40 years old, and the recent health issues have reflected that. Advertisement Related: Yankees Announce Trent Grisham News After Leaving Blue Jays Game Related: Blue Jays GM Announces Trade Plans Before Yankees Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Better Than My Birthday': Bobby Bonilla on His Special Day
The Los Angeles Dodgers have made an art of deferred contracts. The team currently has $1.01 billion in deferred contracts extended to eight players, including $680 million to Shohei Ohtani, and smaller amounts to pitcher Blake Snell, infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman, and reliever Tanner Scott, all of whom signed last offseason with the Dodgers. Advertisement More from 'It's a beautiful thing,' Bobby Bonilla, who boasts one of the most well-known deferred contracts in Major League Baseball, said about the Dodgers deferred deals. 'It's a reminder that I did the right thing by putting the money away.' Bonillia has the granddaddy of all deferred deals, and July 1 is his biggest day of the year. The date has become synonymous with the former Major League outfielder, who now works for the MLB Players Association, because he will receive his deposit of $1.2 million from the New York Mets, the 15th of 25 payments that will extend annually to 2035. 'It's bigger than my birthday,' Bonilla said when reached via phone at his home on the west coast of Florida. 'People know this date more than they know my birthday. I think it's very cool. People are just happy that I put the money aside.' Advertisement For the record, his birthday is Feb. 23, and he's 62 years old. Bonilla's 16-year career ended in 2001, but he's more famous for his deferred contract than he is for his 287 homers and .279 batting average across eight teams. Bonilla's deal, arranged by his then-agent Dennis Gilbert, worked well for the cash-poor former Mets owner Fred Wilpon at the time—but it worked even better for Bonilla, who will ultimately earn about five times the $5.9 million cash value of what was left on the contract because of an 8% interest rate. Bonilla collected his first dividends from the plan in 2011, and he's scheduled to earn precisely $1,193,248.20 from the Mets each year until he's 72 years old. Bonilla, who was born and raised in the Bronx, said spending a lot of money as a player was never a big deal for him. The deferred money was not meant to protect him from squandering money. 'It was just being sure I put money away,' Bonilla said. 'I wasn't that much of a big spender. I never needed five of the same car or 17 houses. I never overdid anything. But the most important thing with Dennis, and I expressed that as a young player, I just wanted to have when I retired.' Advertisement Bonilla's contract was not the first deferred contract paid by a club to a player. The San Diego Padres, under then-president Ballard Smith, signed shortstop Garry Templeton and closer Goose Gossage to long-term deals tied to annuities in the 1980s. In 1984, reliever Bruce Sutter inked a six-year, $9.1 million contract with the Braves that paid out $47 million, thanks to a 12.3% interest rate. According to MLB rules, clubs must invest or set aside deferred money as if it is actually being paid in real time to the player, who doesn't have to pay taxes on it until he begins to collect. Another way to circumvent the luxury tax process is to give players large upfront signing bonuses. Six of L.A.'s deals since signing Mookie Betts in 2020 include $207 million in bonuses, most of them up front, although the $65 million is being paid to Betts over 15 years. Ohtani didn't get a bonus. As far as the luxury tax is concerned, deferred money is discounted annually during the term of the contract. Bonuses are actually amortized equally each year rather than being credited as a lump sum in the year paid. For example, Ohtani's $70 million over 10 years is being charged as $41.6 million toward the luxury tax because of the decreasing value of the dollar each year of the deferral. Advertisement In the modern game, Bonilla gets the credit for getting it all started. 'A lot of times they call it the greatest contract of all time in a lot of people's minds,' Bonilla said. 'It wasn't the first of its kind. I'm not going to say that before me people didn't put money away. And now Dodgers players are doing it to their advantage. But my contract got particular traction, maybe because of the circumstances. It's a fun day.' Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
