After a mediocre at best first two months of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays went 16-10 in June and are off to a 12-3 start in July, taking over control of first place in the AL East with a 58-41 record. What's made Toronto's ascension that much more impressive is they've dominated despite not getting much of anything from outfielder Anthony Santander and face of the franchise Vladimir Guerrero Jr. having a down year.
But while the Jays have a great shot when it comes to winning the AL East, the latest rumor from MLB insider Hector Gomez suggests the team isn't doing enough to win its first division crown since 2015.
SOURCE: The #BlueJays in talks with O’s surrounded around relief pitchers Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez.@z101digital
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) July 21, 2025
Gomez notes that the Jays are in talks to acquire one or both of veteran relievers Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez from the Baltimore Orioles.
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with either Soto or Dominguez. Both would make the Jays' bullpen better than it is right now, and neither would cost a ton to acquire. With that being said, shouldn't the Jays be aiming a bit higher than this?
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Blue Jays rumored trade targets leave a lot to be desired
Soto is a left-handed reliever who has incredible stuff and has been dominant against left-handed hitters this season, but his numbers against righties are not great, and command has been an issue throughout his career. Dominguez is essentially the same kind of pitcher as Soto, just right-handed. He dominates righties and has electric stuff, but gets punished by lefties and walks too many batters.
Both of these relievers would be upgrades over the likes of Mason Fluharty and Justin Bruihl, but again, Jays fans want to see more. Guerrero Jr., the superstar who just committed the next decade-plus of his life to this franchise, wants to see more. Plus, it's not even as if either one of these relievers is signed past this season.
The trade market isn't expected to feature many bonafide stars, but it will feature a slew of high-end relievers, many of which are far more intriguing than both Soto and Dominguez. While I truly believe the Jays should refrain from trading the likes of Trey Yesavage and Arjun Nimmala for just about anybody, they have enough prospect capital to get better bullpen help than these two Orioles relievers they're being linked to.
The Jays have been extremely fun to watch, especially in the last two month. But for them to not only win the division, but make some noise in October, Toronto is going to have to make at least one meaningful deal. Trading for one or both of Soto and Dominguez is fine, but the Jays need to do more to satisfy both the fan base and Guerrero, both of whom deserve a memorable postseason run.