The Toronto Blue Jays’ starting rotation has been looked upon as one of the team’s strengths over the last few years, but it’s not pulling its weight in 2025.
Blue Jays starters have a 4.63 ERA, which is fourth-worst among all 30 Major League Baseball clubs. Max Scherzer is injured, Bowden Francis and Kevin Gausman have been disappointments, and only Chris Bassitt has been firmly above average.
Still, the Blue Jays have high expectations for themselves this year, and if they make a push before the trade deadline, they could certainly find themselves in a position to buy on the starting pitching rental market.
There’s one former World Series champion available on the trade market this summer who could make sense for the Blue Jays on several fronts.
On Sunday, Matthew Sookram of FanSided named Pittsburgh Pirates veteran Andrew Heaney, a 2023 World Champion with the Texas Rangers, as a top trade deadline fit for Toronto if they wind up buying.
“While they have José Ureña, Eric Lauer, and (eventually) Spencer Turnbull as options for that spot, Heaney is better than all of those options,” Sookram wrote.
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“While he doesn’t do anything exceptional, he does a tremendous job of keeping hitters guessing with a six-pitch mix… He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, so this would be a great “buy low” option for the Blue Jays.”
Heaney, who turns 34 next month, is having a late-career resurgence. After signing a one-year, $5.25 million deal to head to Pittsburgh, he’s putting up a 3.03 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through his first nine starts.
The Blue Jays wouldn’t be the only team interested in Heaney at the Jul. 31 deadline if he continues pitching like this. But perhaps they’d be the most motivated team to land him, given their shaky rotation situation.
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