What a difference a week makes. On June 16, the Toronto Blue Jays were 35-36 — a disappointing start for a team that won 89 games a year ago and made it to the AL Wild Card round — but still good enough to keep the Jays in contention for a Wild Card berth. The week that followed was disastrous.
Toronto lost all seven contests, including three games by just one run. The club is now seven games below .500 and 14.5 games back in a competitive AL East. With the MLB trade deadline approaching, a Jays team that previously had hopes of a playoff berth is careening toward seller status at the bottom of the AL East.
Given Toronto's current predicament, here are four Blue Jays who must be on the trade block ahead of the 2024 MLB deadline.
Bo Bichette (Shortstop)
After leading MLB in hits in 2021 and 2022 and then batting above .300 in 2023, Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette has failed to get going in 2024. Bichette is batting just .238 with a .623 OPS, but his advanced stats suggest a turnaround.
The two-time All-Star has an expected batting average of .271, and his BABIP is 80 points lower than last season despite his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity staying in line. His strikeout rate is also at a career-low. Even though he is in the midst of a down year, Bo Bichette still carries significant value as one of the best contact hitters in the league, and he also has a proven ability to hit 20+ homers in a season.
George Springer (Outfielder)
Since joining the Blue Jays in 2021, George Springer has been a great player but a step below the MVP candidate he was with the Astros. In his first three years in Toronto, Springer's OPS sat at .798 — down from .852 in Houston — while his power numbers also experienced a slight but noticeable decline. Some of his deterioration could be attributed to age, as Springer was 31 when he joined the Blue Jays on a six-year deal.
But, a modest recession has become a freefall this year for the Toronto outfielder. Springer has an OPS of .643 through 44 games and is batting just .214. He also has just 25 RBI this season. This is a huge dropoff for a player averaging 92 runs batted in per 162 games in his career entering this season and is a major factor in the Blue Jays being 23rd in MLB in runs scored.
Springer's contract — three years at $25 million per season remaining — will be difficult to move, so Toronto will not get a hefty haul for the 34-year-old. That will not matter for a club looking to retool for the future.
Justin Turner (Designated Hitter)
The Blue Jays brought in veteran infielder Justin Turner on a one-year, $13 million deal, hoping the experienced hitter would help lead the club to the playoffs. The 39-year-old has been solid overall this season, but his streakiness has frustrated his new team.
It has been a season of extremes for the former Los Angeles Dodgers star. Turner batted .311 through the first month of the year, then hit just .100 over his next 23 contests before posting a .333 batting average in June. Will July bring another cold spell, or can Turner finally maintain some consistency? The Blue Jays are best off selling Justin Turner while he is hot to maximize their return for the aging slugger on an expiring deal.
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