The Toronto Blue Jays entered 2026 with sky high expectations following their run to the World Series in 2025, but thus far, they’ve failed to live up to all the promise, despite a very productive winter that improved the team.
While injuries have played a significant role in their struggles, the team have seen several stars underperform too, and now they’re sitting at 44-49 with three games to play heading into the All-Star break. Will they be sellers, will they be buyers or will they stay steady with their current roster? Those are all questions that will be answered in the coming weeks, but for now, they’ve started trade deadline season with a surprise trade.
Tommy Nance Traded by the Toronto Blue Jays
GettyTommy Nance of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Out of nowhere, the team have swung a surprising trade on Friday, as it was announced by Alden Gonzalez that the Blue Jays are dealing reliever Tommy Nance to the Minnesota Twins, a team aiming to beef up their bullpen ahead of a potential run to the American League Central crown.
In 2025, Nance played a key role for the Blue Jays in 30 appearances, and in 2026 he’s been just as vital, but with the team having depth in their bullpen now that they’re getting healthier, he was seemingly an expendable piece for this organization. This year for Toronto, Nance has posted a 3.82 ERA across 33.0 innings of work, and with 144 appearances under his belt at the big league level, he’ll fit right in for a Twins team that currently sit just two games back in the AL Central Division race.
Toronto Blue Jays Could be Sellers at the Trade Deadline
This is one of what could be several moves the Blue Jays make as sellers, and while Nance wasn’t one of their biggest pieces, if the team continue to struggle getting back to .500 on the season, it could start an avalanche of moves for a team that’s been highly disappointing thus far in 2026.
Beyond Nance, the likes of George Springer, Nathan Lukas, Jesus Sanchez, Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber among others could all be available, but if they can turn things around and get back past .500, this may be a team that simply buys in hopes of making a Wild Card push in 2026. With the departure of Nance, the team will now look to rely more heavily upon players like Spencer Miles and Simeon Woods-Richardson who currently is playing in AAA for the Buffalo Bisons, and if they don’t get back into the race, this could open the door for a younger reliever to get a chance.
Ultimately, this move was a good one for both teams, as the Blue Jays move on from a good pitcher in their crowded bullpen while the Twins get a major upgrade in their own pen ahead of a Wild Card race, and given how crazy things are going to get in the coming weeks, this move could be a sign of things to come.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Blue Jays Trade Five-Year MLB Pitcher to American League Rival appeared first on HEAVY.