The Toronto Blue Jays have exceeded expectations thus far, ending the first half with a 55-41 record and a 2.0-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East. They've put themselves in a position to be clear trade deadline buyers, which is great news for the entire organization. But while it's exciting to see the Jays in postseason contention, GM Ross Atkins appears to be willing to risk the organization's future to give them the best shot of winning this season, the final year of Atkins' contract. That is a problem.
"I think in terms of the Blue Jays, the gloves are off, they're really open," The Athletic's Jim Bowden said on the Foul Territory podcast. "They're smelling that they can make the playoffs, they're smelling that they can win. I think that in terms of their farm system, especially knowing that, again, Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, their contracts are up. If they can sit there and make the postseason, they're gonna get long-term contracts. They're gonna do whatever it takes... they're willing to trade their top prospects and try to win right now,"
The Blue Jays are willing to deal their top prospects at the trade deadline, says @JimBowdenGM.
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 17, 2025
"They're going to do whatever it takes." pic.twitter.com/tOBVtDDGsx
The Blue Jays are intently focused on making the playoffs this season, and Bowden seems to be hinting at the urgency being so great largely because of Atkins' contract status. Atkins knows that if the Jays don't make the playoffs, his job might be in jeopardy. A postseason appearance, though, would change the equation, and could earn him a long-term deal. Given that, trading top prospects would improve their odds of making the postseason now.
That logic makes sense from Atkins' perspective, but is it in the organization's best interest to be going all-in right now?
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Blue Jays could be on the verge of making collossal trade deadline mistake
The Jays are currently a first-place team, which is great, but does anyone view them as World Series contenders? Yes, anything can happen in October, but is it worth going all-in if you don't end up the prohibitive favorites to win it all?
I'm not sure that, even if the Jays traded their top two prospects in shortstop Arjun Nimmala and pitcher Trey Yesavage for star-level returns, they'd be the favorites to win the AL Pennant, let alone the World Series. And if Atkins believes that's the case, those guys should be untouchable.
Now, if the Jays can trade a guy like Yesavage as a headliner for an ace with additional years of control like Joe Ryan, perhaps that'd make sense. Ryan would help the Jays now, but also in the future, with the ability to additionally be signed to a long-term extension. Trading a guy like Yesavage for the best rental on the market, though, must be a non-starter.
Would Atkins prioritize players with club control over rentals at the deadline? Blue Jays fans hope so, but with his contract expiring, he might only really care about this year. There's too much at stake for him to not go all-in right now.
Hopefully, if the Jays do trade one or multiple of their top prospects, it's for players who can help in 2025 and beyond. The last thing the Jays should do is trade high-level prospects for a series of rentals in a year where the odds are probably stacked against them to defeat a powerhouse like the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Hopefully, even with his job on the line, Atkins operates with that mindset.