The Toronto Blue Jays are a team to watch ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline. Through 60 games, the Blue Jays sit in fourth place in the AL East. If Toronto plans on making the playoffs and contending for the 2023 World Series, a Blue Jays' trade or two might be needed in order to get over the hump.

The Blue Jays' 33-27 record would be good enough to put them atop two of MLB's divisions. Unfortunately for Toronto, the team is stuck in a loaded AL East, where an 89-win pace isn't going to cut it. The Blue Jays are nine games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays and five games in the loss column behind the Baltimore Orioles. With the New York Yankees also ahead of the Blue Jays in the wild-card race, Toronto will have to consider becoming a buyer at the 2023 MLB trade deadline.

The Blue Jays have won 91 games and 92 games, respectively, in the last two seasons. Toronto has no playoff wins to show for its efforts. The Blue Jays' young core is slowly getting older. What players might Toronto try to trade for in order to improve what it hoped would be a championship-caliber roster?

Let's take a look at three possible candidates for the Blue Jays to target at the 2023 MLB trade deadline.

Lance Lynn, Chicago White Sox

The Blue Jays are in an interesting position when it comes to their starting rotation. Toronto has avoided injuries and only used five starters through the first two-plus months of the season. Kevin Gausman has pitched like an ace with a 2.76 ERA in 12 starts. Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios are good playoff starters. Yusei Kikuchi has been an admirable No. 5 starter. But Alex Manoah, the Blue Jays' ace from a season ago, has been one of the worst starters in baseball.

Manoah has pitched so poorly that Blue Jays manager John Schneider didn't completely dismiss the idea of sending him to the minor leagues when asked about the possibility of doing so. What does all that mean regarding a possible Blue Jays' trade at the deadline? Toronto probably isn't going to go all-in for a front-end starter, but the team could take a flier on a starter that won't cost much to acquire. Lance Lynn fits that profile.

From 2019-2022, Lynn was one of the best pitchers in the AL. The veteran has fallen off the map with a 6.55 ERA in 12 starts. There are signs that Lynn could be turning a corner. He had three straight quality starts before allowing eight runs to the Los Angeles Angels. A veteran in the final year of his contract who is playing for a potential seller, Lynn has a good chance to become available this July.

Scott Barlow, Kansas City Royals

The bullpen is technically the weak link of the Blue Jays. Toronto ranks fifth among AL teams in both OPS and rotation ERA. The Blue Jays' relievers have the seventh-best ERA in the league. Teams can never have enough reliable relief pitchers in October. Acquiring Scott Barlow at the trade deadline would make the Blue Jays a more dangerous playoff team.

The Royals are in last place in the AL Central. Only the historically bad Oakland Athletics have a worse record than the Royals. Kansas City is listening to offers for Barlow, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Barlow has a 3.52 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In five MLB seasons, the Royals' reliever has a career 3.14 ERA. His opponents' batting average of .193 in 2023 is a career-best.

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Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on left with fire in eyes. Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman on right with fire in eyes. Rogers Centre background.

Joey Mistretta ·

Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Making a trade for Votto would only be a minor move, but it could be one that makes sense for all parties involved. The Reds are rebuilding and likely to become sellers at the MLB trade deadline, once again. Votto has no more guaranteed years left on his contract beyond the 2023 season. Votto is from Toronto. Just before the start of the season, Reds General Manager Nick Krall said that he would consider trading Votto to the Blue Jays if the first baseman asked to be sent home to compete in a playoff race.

The idea of a Votto-to-the-Blue Jays trade would hinge on the first baseman's return from injury and subsequent performance. Votto has missed the entire season because of shoulder surgery last year. He just started a rehab assignment in Triple-A. Votto was a shell of his old self before going under the knife, hitting .205/.319/.370 in 91 games.

It was only two seasons ago that Votto hit .266/.375/.563 with 36 home runs in 129 games. If the Reds' first baseman shows he still has some pop, it's possible that the Blue Jays could acquire him for practically nothing and use him off the bench during a playoff run.