TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are 5-4 since the MLB trade deadline. Despite a series loss in Los Angeles, they’ve maintained a lead in the American League East and remain in contention for a postseason bye.
However, the impact of the Jays’ deadline moves still lingers. Here are three notes on the aftermath of Toronto’s trades, from Shane Bieber’s nearing return to the farm system’s progress:
Navigating a six-man rotation
The Blue Jays face an impending rotation decision. Bieber pushed up to 78 pitches and 5 ⅔ innings in his latest Triple-A outing. His 30-day rehab window is set to end later this week, likely leaving time for just one more tuneup start. The dilemma is clear: bump a starter to the bullpen or start a six-man rotation?
No Jays starting pitcher is an obvious candidate for demotion, so a six-man rotation would avoid (or delay) a difficult decision. However, it would also mean the Jays would roster a shortened bullpen until September roster expansion. And while an expanded rotation gives current starters more rest down the stretch, it could throw off routines.
“We have some off days,” manager John Schneider said. “So do you want them that well rested, or do you want to keep them a little bit regular?”
Potential Blue Jays six-man rotation schedule
Shane Bieber
22-Aug
29-Aug
05-Sep
6 & 6
Eric Lauer
23-Aug
30-Aug
06-Sep
6 & 6
José Berríos
24-Aug
31-Aug
07-Sep
6 & 6
Kevin Gausman
25-Aug
01-Sep
09-Sep
6 & 7
Max Scherzer
26-Aug
02-Sep
10-Sep
6 & 7
Chris Bassitt
27-Aug
03-Sep
11-Sep
6 & 7
If Bieber returns next week and the Jays move to a six-man rotation, every starter could have six or seven days off between starts. That’s far more rest than big-league starters are accustomed to. Kevin Gausman, Eric Lauer and José Berríos each have just one start on seven days’ rest in the last four years. None of them pitched a quality start after that time off.
The Jays could avoid the seven-day layoffs by rolling with a six-man rotation for just one turn, ensuring Bieber is back to form. Then, if Bieber proves he’s back, they can bump a starter to the bullpen. Either way, the Jays must pare down the rotation eventually, whether it’s this week or in October.
“If there gets to a point where you have an uncomfortable conversation with someone,” Schneider said, “that’s where we’re at.”
Deadline additions create fluid bullpen roles
The 2024 Philadelphia Phillies felt they had the best bullpen in baseball, Jeff Hoffman said. José Alvarado, Carlos Estévez, Matt Strahm, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez and Hoffman each recorded saves, but none ever locked into specific set-up or closing roles. They were an ever-evolving unit.
That flexibility held benefits, Hoffman said, as the team won 95 games. However, it took a juggling act and constant communication from Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Schneider now faces a similar task with the Jays after the deadline injections of Domínguez and Louis Varland. Hoffman remains the team’s closer, with a light show and dramatic entrance, but expect juggling behind him.
“In terms of the set-up guy,” Schneider said, “I think it’s going to be a little bit fluid between a few guys, between rest and availability. All these guys are fine with that.”
To ease the process, Toronto’s coaching staff checks in with the relievers before every game and series. They tell the available pitchers which innings to be ready for and which specific batters or lane of the lineup to prepare against.
It helps that Toronto’s top leverage options all have distinct strengths. Brendon Little owns a 31.7 percent strikeout rate against lefties. Righties hit .183 against Domínguez throughout his career. Need a ground ball? Varland has the 20th-best ground-ball rate among all relievers. Yaríel Rodriguez has gone multiple innings 20 times this season.
On paper, finding spots to maximize those strengths is easy. However, when the reality of opposing pinch hitters and managing rest enters the equation, it’s never simple. Navigating those fluid roles will be Schneider and staff’s biggest bullpen task down the stretch and into October.
Deadline buying buoyed by farm system strides
In some ways, the progress made in Toronto’s minors this year is obvious. After a 2024 season filled with injuries and backward steps, the 2025 success stories are clear in Joey Loperfido, Addison Barger, Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher all aiding the Jays. They’re obvious in Trey Yesavage pushing up to Triple A, on the cusp of a big-league debut, and Arjun Nimmala climbing prospect rankings. Quietly, that progress also helped the Jays bolster a first-place roster at the deadline.
Toronto’s farm still ranks in the bottom half in most public rankings, but was considered good compared to many deadline buyers this year, a rival executive said, buoyed by depth more than many future stars.
Last year, a lack of upper-minors depth and pitching injuries hampered the Jays’ system. This deadline, after overhauling development priorities and finding value in the 2024 draft, the system held strengths. The farm contains many fringe big-league contributors and upside pitchers, a league source said — the two areas Toronto drew from in trade.
“It was an extremely competitive year,” general manager Ross Atkins said, “where we felt like we could compete in every level of the market.”
Toronto traded three pitching prospects who entered the season inside Keith Law’s organizational top 15 and outfielder Alan Roden. The Blue Jays were open to discussing their best prospects, a league source said, though ultimately held on to the highest ranked youngsters — Yesavage, Nimmala and Johnny King.
Maybe that top group helps future versions of the Blue Jays, or perhaps they will regret not pushing in further this year. At the very least, they had the choice. The Jays needed success at the big-league level to rebound from a dreadful 2024 season, but it’s this farm system progress that could push a run into an extended window.
(Photo of Shane Bieber: Cole Burston / Getty Images)