What Blue Jays are getting in each commerce deadline deal

HOUSTON – Six offers in two days bringing in 10 gamers, six of them pitchers, highlighted by Jose Soriano, made for a busy and transformative commerce deadline for the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Using pending free brokers Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho, leverage reliever Jeff Hoffman, up-and-down lefty Adam Macko and three prospects together with touted shortstop Arjun Nimmala, basic supervisor Ross Atkins restocked the big-league rotation for this yr and past with Soriano and Spencer Arrighetti, “the demographic we were looking to add to this group,” whereas additionally constructing depth at triple-A and sprinkling in longer-term upside. 

While the Blue Jays didn’t “have a clear target in acquisitions at the cost of talent, there are tiebreakers and positional fits that can be goals,” stated Atkins. “In the end, talent is going to trump all. If we were breaking ties, we wanted to acquire pitching because we do feel like we have a good position-player group here and below. I feel like we’ve complemented them well.”

Here’s a take a look at the offers they made.

ACQUIRED Spencer Arrighetti from the Houston Astros for Daulton Varsho

SP | 6-2/ 186 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 26

2026 stats Houston: G: 17 | GS: 17 | IP: 88 | ERA: 5.44 | HR: 12 | BB/Ok: 50/87

The Breakdown: Currently on the injured record with nerve irritation in his proper foot, Arrighetti isn’t distant from returning and offers the Blue Jays one other potential rotation piece underneath contractual management via 2030, one with three choices, too. He’s a serviceable starter that does a very good job of inducing tender contact with a seven-pitch combine constructed round a curveball-fastball combo and has a middle-of-the-pack strikeout charge of twenty-two.5 per cent, though his walks are excessive at 13 per cent. Still, starters of his ilk are exhausting to amass, particularly for 2 months of Varsho.

ACQUIRED Dasan Hill, John Klein and Damuery Pena from the Minnesota Twins for Jeff Hoffman

Prospect Rankings: No. 8 in Twins system by Baseball America

SP | 6-5/ 165 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 20

2026 stats High A Cedar Rapids: G: 16 | GS: 16 | IP: 45 | ERA: 5.80 | HR: 2 | BB/Ok: 37/77

The Breakdown: A second-round decide in 2024, the massive righty options big-time stuff and all the chance that comes together with high-velo excessive schoolers. Topping out at 98 m.p.h., he will get plenty of swing and miss with a 34.5 per cent whiff charge and a 36 per cent strikeout charge, however that additionally comes with a 17.2 per cent stroll charge. His changeup and sweeper may be weapons and he additionally throws a curveball, too.

Prospect Rankings: No. 29 in Cubs system by Baseball America

SP/RP | 6-5/ 225 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 24

2026 stats TWINS: G: 3 | IP: 4.1 | ERA: 4.15 | HR: 1 | BB/Ok: 4/2

2026 stats Triple-A St. Paul: G: 24 | GS: 14 | IP: 64 | ERA: 5.91 | HR: 14 | BB/Ok: 34/74

The Breakdown: The 2022 non-drafted free agent made his big-league debut towards the Blue Jays on May 2 with a clear inning, considered one of three appearances within the majors, however has largely pitched at triple-A. He averages 94.5 m.p.h. along with his fastball whereas additionally throwing a changeup, cutter, curveball and sweeper, with a stable strikeout charge of 26.3 per cent and a 29.5 per cent chase charge. He could possibly be a starter or a reliever for the Blue Jays and offers them one other upper-level pitcher with choices.

2B | 5-10/150 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 20

2026 stats Low-A Fort Myers: PA: 274 | .322/.393/.381 | HR: 1 | SB: 19 | BB/Ok: 27/16

2026 stats HIgh-A Cedar Rapids: PA: 110 | .245/.373/.316 | HR: 0 | SB: 1 | BB/Ok: 8/11

The Breakdown: Like the opposite place gamers acquired, Pena is a diminutive, high-contact, good strike-zone management batter with the pace to create some havoc on the bases. The Blue Jays really feel he has an opportunity to develop into energy down the highway.

ACQUIRED Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels for prospects Arjun Nimmala, Eddie Micheletti Jr. and Angel Rivero

SP | 6-3/ 220 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 27

2026 stats: G: 22 | GS: 22 | IP: 123 | ERA: 3.29 | HR: 12| BB/Ok: 57/127

The Breakdown: The Blue Jays had been seeking to make use of a buy-and-sell method, and purchased the ace-calibre righty underneath membership management via the 2028 season to pair with Dylan Cease. Soriano has an enormous fastball, averaging 96.7 m.p.h., and pairs that with a sinker, curveball, splitter and less-used slider. He will get plenty of groundballs at 52.3 per cent and whiffs at 31.4 per cent. More importantly, he helps remake a rotation that was trending towards threadbare subsequent season. With him, Cease and Trey Yesavage as a place to begin, and with Cody Ponce, Bowden Francis and Jose Berrios amongst these slated to return from damage, they immediately have a deeper group to construct from. The value was steep, beginning with Nimmala, the 2023 first-rounder who at simply 20 years previous has an .806 OPS in 33 video games since being promoted to double-A New Hampshire. Micheletti, 24, is a hard-hitting outfielder additionally at New Hampshire with 14 homers in 93 video games, whereas Rivero, 19, struck out 52 in 42 innings within the rookie-level Florida Complex League. 

ACQUIRED Josh Smith and Josh Stephan from the Texas Rangers for Adam Macko

INF | 5-9/ 172 kilos | B/T: L/R | Age: 28

2026 stats: PA: 154 | .213/.299/.272 | HR: 1 | SB: 3 | BB/Ok: 16/29

The Breakdown: The versatile infielder with some outfield expertise and two remaining choices is the prime return for Macko, the Canadian lefty who broke via to the big-leagues this season and bounced between triple-A and the majors. Smith is within the midst of a down yr on the plate after posting an OPS of .731 in 2024 and .701 in 2025. Still, the left-handed hitter is underneath membership management via 2028 and the Blue Jays infield ground is skinny past Andres Gimenez and Ernie Clement after this season. He runs nicely however his fielding metrics have declined in current seasons.

SP | 6-3/ 185 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 24

2026 stats Triple-A Round Rock: G: 21 | GS: 19 | IP: 101 | ERA: 5.44 | HR: 20| BB/Ok: 31/97

The Breakdown: With few true starters at triple-A, Stephan offers the Blue Jays the potential for an up-and-down arm, though one which will probably be Rule 5 eligible this fall so he’ll want a spot on the 40-man roster to keep away from publicity. His fastball sits 92 m.p.h. however a sinker-slider combo from a six-pitch combine offers the Blue Jays one thing to work with.

ACQUIRED Ty Southisene and Brett Bateman from the Cubs for Kevin Gausman

Prospect Rankings: No. 10 in Cubs system by Baseball America

INF | Five-foot-seven, 170 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 21

2026 stats high-A South Bend: PA: 209 | .333/.459/.381 | HR: 0 | SB: 20 | BB/Ok: 30/27
2026 stats low-A Myrtle Beach: PA: 105 | .267/.373/.372 | HR: 0 | SB: 11 | BB/Ok: 11/10

The Breakdown: The diminutive fourth-round decide within the 2024 draft possesses the kind of high-contact, strong-plate-discipline profile the Blue Jays worth, with good baserunning abilities. He has minimal energy, with zero house runs in professional ball, however between his bat-to-ball skills in addition to his pace, he offers the membership’s participant growth workers instruments to work with. He’s solely performed shortstop this season after primarily enjoying second base final yr.

Prospect Rankings: No. 21 in Cubs system by MLB Pipeline

OF | Five-foot-10, 170 kilos | B/T: L/L | Age: 24

2026 stats triple-A Iowa: PA: 346 | .312/.431/.422 | HR: 3 | SB: 20 | BB/Ok: 60/65

The Breakdown: The eighth-round decide in 2023 gives an identical contact-speed profile to Southisene together with robust defence in centre area, a place the place the Blue Jays have a gap to fill for 2027 and past. He doesn’t hit the ball particularly exhausting with a median exit velocity of 88.1 m.p.h. and infrequently places it within the air, however he hardly ever chases, hardly ever whiffs and makes use of his pace to leverage his contact. Combined along with his play within the area, there are instruments there that may carry him to the majors.

ACQUIRED Jameson Taillon from the Chicago Cubs for money or a participant to be named 

SP | Six-foot-five, 230 kilos | B/T: R/R | Age: 34

2026 stats: G: 15 | GS: 15 | IP: 76 | ERA: 5.92 | HR: 25| BB/Ok: 27/68

The Breakdown: A gradual and dependable innings-eater all through his profession, Taillon pitched for Canada on the World Baseball Classic this spring — each his dad and mom are Canadian — however has been victimized this season by the house run, permitting 3.0 per 9 innings, greater than double his profession norm. He missed most of June and a part of July with a strained left hamstring and made two begins after getting back from the injured record, permitting 5 extra homers in 8.1 innings, main the Cubs to DFA him. His fastball velocity is right down to 91.8 m.p.h. however he has a six-pitch combine and his sweeper and curveball have each been efficient, giving the Blue Jays instruments to work with as they backfill the rotation.