Blue Jays trade pitch moves on from veteran star who would join NL contender

Blue Jays trade pitch moves on from veteran star who would join NL contender originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

If things don't improve over the next few months, considering all the injuries that the Toronto Blue Jays have dealt with, they'll have to sit down at the trade deadline and truly figure out what they want to do on both sides of the baseball.

If the Blue Jays are still about five to 10 games away from a playoff spot, it's very possible they decide to keep their current roster or buy and sell some players.

The Blue Jays could also go into the deadline with a clear focus on moving on from guys, and if that's the case, somebody like right-hander Kevin Gausman would be a clear trade candidate. In a recent trade proposal, the 12-16 Blue Jays would accomplish just that.

Blue Jays Acquire: Tucker Musgrove, Jaxon Dalena, Kannon Kemp

Padres Acquire: Gausman

“At a 12–15 start, the Toronto Blue Jays could shift toward a soft sell at the deadline if they can’t recover, making Kevin Gausman a key trade chip. With a 2.57 ERA and strong WHIP, he holds high value and is better moved now than later in a fading season.

“Trading him brings back Tucker Musgrove, Jaxon Dalena, and Kannon Kemp—young, controllable pitching prospects that fit a longer-term retool. Musgrove offers raw upside, while Dalena and Kemp add depth despite injury and inconsistency,” Ryan Shea of SI wrote.

I don't really love the idea of moving on from Gausman, but I can somewhat understand it given his free-agent situation and the Blue Jays not playing as well as they were hoping.

Gausman is set to hit the free agency market this winter, so if the Blue Jays can get something in return for him, it might not be the worst idea.

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