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The Toronto Blue Jays made a few moves at the trade deadline to shore up the pitching staff.
Toronto traded for starter Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians, who is expected to return at some point in August. He is on his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent after making just two starts in 2024.
The Blue Jays hope Bieber can bounce back from the injury quickly and help the team make a deep playoff run.
Toronto also traded for reliever Seranthony Dominguez from the Baltimore Orioles. Dominguez is 2-3 with a 3.09 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP in 45 appearances. His last two came with Toronto, pitching two perfect innings and striking out four batters.
But the Blue Jays’ best trade was with the Minnesota Twins. Toronto acquired first baseman Ty France and reliever Louis Varland.
On the surface, it may not seem like this trade is that meaningful, but Varland has had a great season.
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Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter named Varland one of the best “sneaky good” pickups at the trade deadline.
“With a fastball that averages 98.1 mph and a nasty knuckle curve that is carrying a whiff rate just under 40 percent, Varland has the stuff to make an impact in the late innings, and he likely would have slid into the closer's role in Minnesota after Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax were traded if were not also sent packing,” wrote Reuter.
“With club control through the 2030 season and legitimate closer-caliber stuff, acquiring him along with Ty France in exchange for outfielder Alan Roden and left-hander Kendry Rojas has a chance to be one of the steals of the deadline.”
Varland, 27, is 3-3 with a dazzling 1.98 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 52 appearances this season. In his first outing with his new team, Varland pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout.
Varland should play a pivotal role down the stretch as Toronto embarks on its first division title since 2015.
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