Blue Jays could cut ties with $63M All-Star whose stock is 'up' at trade deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays will be one of the most fascinating teams to track before this year's Major League Baseball trade deadline.

If the Blue Jays are in the playoff hunt, they'll likely go all-in on making a playoff run with manager John Schneider in the final year of his contract. If not, they could have a mini-firesale, though not as newsworthy as it would have been if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hadn't been extended.

Appropriately enough, the Jays are 12-12 to start the year, so things could still easily break either way. They're coming off a last-place finish in 2024, though, so the odds may be slightly stacked against them.

In the case the Blue Jays do sell, they've got lots of chips to move. And one starting pitcher's blazing-hot start to the year could help get Toronto some extra prospect capital if the results continue.

On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer named the Blue Jays' Chris Bassitt as one of the most notable players whose trade stock is "up" ahead of the Jul. 31 deadline.

"It's likely just a matter of time before hitters adjust to Bassitt's adjustment. And especially with just a 36.8 GB%, he isn't going to stay stuck on zero home runs forever," Rymer wrote.

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"All the same, he's probably already shot up wish lists for teams that figure to be in the market for a mid-rotation starter. Stock: Up."

Bassit, 36, is in the final season of a three-year, $63 million contract. And he's proving to be a better return on investment than the Blue Jays may have previously thought.

With a 1.88 ERA and 10.7 K/9 through five starts, Bassitt is an early Cy Young Award contender. That might not continue, but lots of teams will be on the lookout for starting pitching, and the fact that Bassitt is a rental should be appealing.

Last season, Toronto got a massive prospect haul for lefty starter Yusei Kikuchi. While a playoff berth is still preferable, getting similar value for Bassitt at the deadline would be a positive to take from the season if the Jays fall out of the hunt.

More MLB: Blue Jays named among early trade landing spots for $74 million eight-time All-Star