There's no more talk of selling allowed. The Toronto Blue Jays are legitimate playoff contenders in 2025.
Toronto vaulted to a season-high seven games over .500 on Tuesday night, and they currently own the American League's first Wild Card spot. Not only are Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt not getting traded, but they might get some new star teammates this summer.
As the Blue Jays begin to hit their stride, they also have definite upgrades to seek ahead of the Jul. 31 trade deadline. The starting rotation could certainly use fortification, as Bowden Francis has disappointed, and the fifth starter role has been a revolving door.
One insider and former major league general manager believes the Arizona Diamondbacks falling out of the race could be a godsend to Toronto.
On Tuesday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic named D-backs starter Merrill Kelly as his favorite trade target for the Blue Jays this summer. The 36-year-old would be a true rental with free agency looming in the winter.
"Kelly has been one of the most underrated, consistent starting pitchers in baseball since 2022, when he went 13-8 with a 3.37 ERA over 33 starts. In 2023, he went 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA. Last year, he battled injuries but still posted a 4.03 ERA over 13 starts. This year, he’s 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA over 14 starts," Bowden wrote.
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"He will be a free agent after this season, so it would be a rental for the Blue Jays. If the Diamondbacks decide to sell, they could acquire a couple of mid-level prospects in exchange and then in the offseason look to re-sign Kelly, who prefers to finish his career with Arizona."
In addition to the consistent statistics, Kelly proved his big-game acumen in the 2023 postseason, going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his four starts. He won Game 6 of the NLCS that year in Philadelphia, as well as Game 2 of the World Series, Arizona's only win.
Toronto, which hasn't won a playoff game since 2016, would love a pitcher with Kelly's track record. The biggest issue will be whether or not the 33-34 D-backs actually choose to sell.
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