The Toronto Blue Jays are hanging around in the AL East and are in first place on Memorial Day and that has some thinking about the playoffs and reports have the team looking at a potential trade with Jeff Samardzija or David Price as targets, while names like Jose Bautista, Mark Buehrle and Edwin Encarnacion are likely now off the trading block.
Coming into the season the team did not have high expectations after the way they finished in 2013, but the Blue Jays have played very well and now they are two games up on the Yankees and Orioles in the division. According to Hardball Talk, Samardzija is a target for the team at the trading deadline if he becomes available by the Chicago Cubs and right now it looks like that will be happening. Samardzija has been great all season but has had zero support, putting up a 1.46 ERA and a 0-4 record. Numerous teams in the AL could be looking at Samardzija at the deadline, including the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.
The Blue Jays feel that they are close to being a division winning team since no one has been able to pull away with the AL East, the team is hoping to go after another top starter for the rotation. Samardzija has pitched like a top starter this season and he is on a one year deal worth over $5 million after not being able to come to a contract extension and that means Samardzija is likely gone at the deadline. The Blue Jays have gone after Samardzija previously and did not get a deal done and they may to put in a player like Drew Hutchison.
Before the season the team was connected to a deal with the Phillies with Bautista and Buehrle has gotten some attention with the way he has pitched in 2014. Now that the team is in first place at Memorial Day they can start looking towards the trade deadline with some hope and could look to add rather than sell this time around. The offense has been ranked in the top 10 in all the major categories this season in runs scored, batting average, on base and slugging percentage, but the ERA has not been great at 24th in the league and that is one reason why the team could go after Samardzija.
Samardzija has pitched very well and he will be a target for a number of teams at the deadline and the Blue Jays could be one of them if they remain in contention. Toronto has a nice crop of talent and power in the lineup and with Buehrle pitching the way he has, he is the Cy Young favorite in the American League.