The Toronto Blue Jays could shockingly become sellers in the trade market this summer. The reigning American League champions entered 2026 with expectations of making another long playoff run. Nevertheless, Toronto has struggled out of the gate to start the season. In fact, they recently dropped five games below .500 after being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Injuries have certainly been a major issue for the Blue Jays. Several key players have already missed time due to various setbacks. This lengthy list includes George Springer, Addison Barger, Alejandro Kirk, Nathan Lukes, and Max Scherzer. Cody Ponce, who previously signed a three-year, $30 million contract, also suffered a season-ending injury in his first appearance with the club.
Injuries, however, are not the lone problem in Toronto. Blue Jays hitters have mostly underperformed throughout the first quarter of the campaign. The typically potent offense has only managed to average 3.97 runs per game and a collective .690 OPS. At the moment, these figures rank 27th and 25th in Major League Baseball, respectively.
If the Blue Jays continue to struggle, they could opt to trade away some valuable assets before the deadline. While several players may become available, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller believes that relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman is the most likely candidate to be dealt. The flamethrower recently lost his job as the team’s closer due to poor performances. He currently has a 5.74 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in 17 appearances this season.
Toronto Blue Jays Already Seem to Have Replaced Jeff Hoffman
GettyJeff Hoffman has blown 10 regular-season saves since joining the Blue Jays.
The Toronto Blue Jays previously signed Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million contract ahead of the 2025 campaign. At the time, the pitcher was coming off an impressive All-Star season with the Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran recorded a 2.17 ERA to go along with 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2024. Despite this, Hoffman has been fairly inconsistent during his time in Toronto.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins initially claimed that the club would use a committee of closers in Hoffman’s place. Nevertheless, Louis Varland has typically been used as Toronto’s main closer in recent days. And Varland has not disappointed. The reliever has posted a 0.48 ERA and has converted all four save attempts. With Varland in place, Atkins could very well opt to move on from Hoffman.
Despite his underwhelming main statistics, Hoffman would still have value in the trade market. The pitcher is currently averaging 16.7 strikeouts per nine innings, while averaging 96.7 MPH on his fastball and a solid hard-hit rate of just 33%. Contending teams could look to add Hoffman to their bullpen heading down the stretch.
Toronto Could Shed Salary if Struggles Continue
Assuming the Toronto Blue Jays do become sellers, it likely will not be a complete fire sale. Players signed for the long term, such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, and Trey Yesavage, are probably seen as untouchable. Hoffman, however, could be offloaded to help shed some significant salary and bring in prospects.
Toronto currently has the fourth-highest payroll in baseball, but only an average farm system. MLB.com recently ranked the Blue Jays prospects as the 15th-best out of the 30 teams, and the list included Yesavage. Outside of the standout pitcher with MLB experience, the club does not have another prospect inside baseball’s top 40 list.
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