The Toronto Blue Jays should be very familiar with San Francisco Giants starter Robbie Ray, as Ray won the AL Cy Young award back in 2021 with the Jays, but then departed in MLB free agency after signing a five-year, $115 million contract.
In case you forgot, here were Ray’s numbers in that 2021 campaign: 6.9 pWAR, 2.84 ERA, 32 starts, 193.1 innings pitched, 248 strikeouts, 1.045 WHIP. Yeah, pretty good, and well, Robbie Ray is in the final deal of that $115 million contract, and is starting to emerge as a potential trade candidate if the Giants were to sell this summer.
In fact, a recent predictions piece by SI.com’s Ethen Hutton links Robbie Ray back to his old team, the Blue Jays, in an MLB mock trade.
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Blue Jays-Giants Trade Idea Lands Robbie Ray in Toronto
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 05: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field on June 05, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The price tag on acquiring Robbie Ray should not be that high because he’s on an expiring contract, and he’s posted modest numbers this season (4.12 ERA over 67+ innings with 63 strikeouts. The Blue Jays, although starting to get healthier, have dealt with so many injuries to their starting staff this season, and Ray could give the group a sense of stability if guys like Max Scherzer have to miss time again.
Toronto also needs a strong southpaw starter, as the only lefty that projects in the rotation is Patrick Corbin, who has, all things considered, been solid for the Blue Jays this season.
Hutton proposes this trade package to land Robbie Ray:
“San Francisco Giants receive Louis Varland, Gage Santifer (Blue Jays No. 6 Prospect), Juan Sanchez (Blue Jays No. 7 Prospect)”
“Toronto Blue Jays receive Robbie Ray”
Louis Varland has a 0.51 ERA and 46 strikeouts out of the bullpen for Toronto, so it’s safe to say he WON’T be going anywhere. I think the Blue Jays could get away with landing Robbie Ray for just Santifer and Juan Sanchez in this scenario, but Varland feels way more valuable right now on the Blue Jays pitching staff, and perhaps he’s more valuable alone than is Robbie Ray.
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Robbie Ray’s MLB Career
Robbie Ray sure has put together a solid MLB career, and if he decides to keep pitching in MLB, he should ink a solid contract extension this offseason.
In 2025, he was named to his second career All-Star game, and ended up posting an ERA of 3.65 over 180+ innings and 32 starts. In 2023 and 2024, Ray battled some injuries, which limited him to just eight starts between the two campaigns, but he’s come back strong and shown he can still take the ball every fifth day.
As for the Blue Jays and whether they should trade for him or not, that depends on how Toronto’s front office feels about the rotation in mid-July and where the team is in the standings.
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