5 'surprise' Toronto Blue Jays who will be traded by the deadline and where

Vibes are at an all-time low for Toronto Blue Jays fans right now. Not only has their team lost four series in a row, but they enter play on Tuesday at 16-19 on the season, last in the AL East. They're 7.5 games out of first place, and are 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.

Obviously, it's too early for Jays fans to be too concerned over where their team ranks in the standings, but it's certainly not too early for them to be concerned about how their team is playing.

The Blue Jays still have an elite starting rotation and unbelievable team defense, but their bullpen has taken a major step back and their lineup continues to struggle. The Jays are currently 25th in runs scored and are 29th in the league, only ahead of the White Sox in average and WRC+ with runners in scoring position.

It's too early to label the Jays as sellers as they'll want to believe they have a shot at being a playoff team as long as they can with the expanded format, but if things don't change soon, as The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal says, they could be surprising sellers when the trade deadline rolls around.

If the Jays are sellers, these five players could be traded.

5) Danny Jansen has not proven enough to warrant an extension

This might be weird to say since Danny Jansen is one of the few Blue Jays players actually hitting right now. He's slashing .297/.409/.676 with three home runs and four RBI on the season in 13 games which is outstanding, but the fact that he's only appeared in 13 games is the crux of the issue.

Jansen has been ravaged by injuries throughout his seven-year career. When he has been on the field he's proven he can hit at a high level, especially for a catcher, but he has played 100 games just once, and that was back in 2019. I get it, a lot of the injuries he has dealt with have been freak accidents, but it's just really hard to trust someone who can't seem to stay on the field.

The 29-year-old is a free agent at the end of the season and can help a lot of teams in need of offense behind the plate. Assuming the Jays are out of it and he can stay on the field from now until the trade deadline, the Jays can fetch a better return than you might think for him.

The Chicago Cubs are in need of some more offense behind the plate and could really use Jansen's bat.

4) Justin Turner can be an excellent piece for contenders to pursue

The Blue Jays didn't do much to get better over the offseason but one good move that Ross Atkins made was signing Justin Turner to a one-year deal. Sure, he's 39 years old, but he was great last season in Boston and has been even better so far in Toronto.

Turner is slashing .283/.361/.472 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 32 games played. He has a 141 OPS+, and that's with him slumping a bit.

This would be tough to see as Turner has been one of the few Blue Jays coming through with runners in scoring position as he has done his entire career, but if the Jays are sellers it's hard to see him staying because of his age and contract.

He's best suited as a DH now, but has played sporadically at third base and first base. That only adds to his already good value. The fact that he's a proven postseason performer doesn't hurt either.

A team like the Texas Rangers could use some more offense out of the DH spot and would be a nice fit for Turner.

3) Yusei Kikuchi has blossomed into a reliable starting pitcher

The Yusei Kikuchi deal looked like an unmitigated disaster for the Blue Jays when in 2021 he posted a 5.19 ERA in 32 appearances (20 starts) and 100.2 innings of work. Since then, the contract has looked like an absolute bargain.

Kikuchi made all 32 of his starts last season and had a 3.86 ERA. He was one of the better back-end starters in the game. This season has play has elevated as he has a 2.72 ERA in seven starts and 39.2 innings of work. He's gone at least six innings in five of his seven starts and has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his outings.

What's most impressive about Kikuchi is his dominance despite the Blue Jays giving him virtually no run support. He's yet another free agent to be who can bring a nice haul back north of the border.

A team like the Atlanta Braves could use a short-term solution with Spencer Strider out for the year.

2) Jordan Romano could have a ton of trade value

Since settling in as Toronto's full-time closer, he ranks fourth in the majors with 99 saves, and he has only blown 11 of his opportunities. He had back-to-back 36-save campaigns in 2022 and 2023 and was an All-Star in both seasons. He is one of the best closers in all of baseball.

This season has been different for Romano who missed the beginning of this season due to right elbow inflammation, but he's healthy now and has made seven appearances, racking up four saves.

Every team needs some sort of bullpen help, and if Romano is made available, there's a good chance he'll be the best reliever on the market. Not only that, but he's just 31 years old, is making only $7.75 million which is cheap for an elite closer, and has another year of club control. If the Jays give up on this season, the time to trade Romano is right now when that extra year is attached.

Many teams are in dire need of bullpen help, but perhaps none more than the Chicago Cubs who'd benefit greatly by acquiring Romano.

1) The Blue Jays need to make a decision on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Here's the big one. As Rosenthal notes, both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the team's two faces of the franchise, are set to hit free agency at the end of the 2025 season. He also says both could potentially be made available if the Jays decide to wave the white flag on this season.

Bichette being a shortstop and a more consistent hitter should be the player that the Jays prioritize getting an extension done with even with his brutal start to this season. Guerrero on the other hand is far trickier.

There's no questioning his talent and upside. He would've won the MVP in 2021 had he not gone up against the best player we've ever seen, Shohei Ohtani, dominating on both sides of the ball. His ceiling is sky-high, but that 2021 season is looking more like the outlier than the norm.

The fact of the matter is Guerrero is only a first baseman and isn't even a great defender at the position. His numbers have declined each year since he was the MVP runner-up. He's a good player, and an exciting one to watch, but has he earned the massive extension he's going to be seeking? If the answer is no, the Jays should trade him while he still has an extra year of control and get a strong haul in return.

A team like the Seattle Mariners in need of a middle-of-the-order bat makes a lot of sense.