Blue Jays by the numbers: Underwhelming June reveals Toronto's needs going forward

Sometimes you have to walk through the darkness to see the light, or in the case of the Toronto Blue Jays, sometimes you have to labour through a frustrating month of baseball to see that reinforcements are needed if the organization is serious about making a serious postseason push.

The all-star break isn't for another couple weeks but the Blue Jays have now passed the midpoint of their season. Through 84 games, Toronto is 45-39 and in first place in the AL East, one game up on the Orioles and 2 ½ up on the Yankees. The defending champion Red Sox, who are trying to rebound from a poor start, lurk 6 ½ games back with three months left to play.

Every month matters — the Jays can attest to that. A 21-9 May pushed them to the top of the division after going 12-15 in the season's first month. Then came another 12-15 in June and a 4-9 record over their last 13 games. If that slide extends into July, first place won't be theirs for much longer.

The Blue Jays' powerful offence was held in check for most of June. A natural regression to the mean after a scorching hot May and injuries late in the month to key players Jose Bautista and Brett Lawrie saw the team that leads the majors with 108 home runs and is third in team OPS (.762) score a measly average of 3.9 runs per game.

Bautista missed six games before making an appearance as a pinch-hitter in Sunday's 4-0 loss to the White Sox and hopes to start Tuesday's Canada Day game against the Brewers. His return should help reenergize the lineup but Toronto's June makes one thing clear— the offence alone isn't enough to carry the team to the playoffs.

When the bats struggle like they did in June, it closes the margin for error for what's been an improved but overall average pitching staff. It's reasonable to expect a high-scoring offence to bounce back after a down month. It's less reasonable to expect a pitching staff that's been for the most part ordinary this season to get dramatically better without a significant change.

To their credit, the starting staff recovered from a terrible April and has settled right in the middle of the pack in the AL. Marcus Stroman's insertion into the rotation has certainly been a plus and Mark Buehrle is deserving of a spot in the all-star game but the fact is that if the Jays are going to hold onto first place, they need more than just average.

So who's available?

Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija, Rays left-hander David Price, and Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee are the high-end options. There's no doubt the asking price will be high for either of those three. Toronto would likely have to part ways with two or three of its best prospects, like right-hander Aaron Sanchez, left-hander Daniel Norris, and outfielder Dalton Pompey.

There are less costly available options out there too, like Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel, Indians right-hander Justin Masterson and Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano, among others.

Acquiring a frontline starting pitcher could make the difference between making or missing the playoffs. Adding more of a rental-type won't have the same impact but wouldn't hurt. Either way, another arm would also help ease the burden put on what's been an erratic bullpen to date this season.

The Jays could use an upgrade in the field too, especially with Lawrie expected to miss most of July with a fractured finger. Rumours swirl of a trade to add another infielder that would add depth to a lineup that isn't great against lefties. Bringing in another arm should be the priority though.

The trade market is heating up and the AL East is there to be won. Now is the time for Alex Anthopoulos and the Blue Jays front office to strike a deal or two to improve the ballclub if they want to stay ahead of their rivals in what's shaping up to be a tight pennant race.