5 trade targets who could address the Blue Jays’ woes against left-handed pitching

If there’s one area the Toronto Blue Jays should prioritize ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, adding a right-handed bat to their underperforming offence should probably be it.

It’s a tad ironic, though, as the franchise subtracted two key righties — Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. — last offseason to improve their lineup’s offensive balance. While effective, it left them one RHB short. A roster flaw that remains exposed.

As a result, the Blue Jays have been among the least productive offences against left-handed pitching this season, with their righties ranked tied for 15th in wRC+ (105), 23rd in SLG (.405), tied for 28th in home runs (14) and 30th in ISO (.140) in the majors.

But it gets even worse. Since the team’s bench doesn’t include a reliable right-handed slugger, at least not yet, there have been 160 plate appearances involving left-on-left matchups, featuring a .250/.314/.292 slash line, .042 ISO, .275 wOBA and a 73 wRC+.

In hopes of resolving this crisis, let’s explore five righties who could enhance Toronto’s effectiveness versus lefties via trade.

OF Tommy Pham

There is still an outside chance the New York Mets stand pat at the trade deadline, but if they decide to sell, Pham could be the missing piece to the Blue Jays' offence.

Pham, inking a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Mets last winter, has already outperformed his contract as he’s been worth 1.4 fWAR across 72 games this season. He’s hitting balls hard (47.9%, 81st percentile), reaching base safely via walks (11.1%, 79th percentile) and owns a 132 wRC+, the second-highest of his career.

The 35-year-old outfielder has excelled against lefties — something he’s done throughout his 10 MLB seasons — hitting .262/.354/.536 with a .274 ISO and a 140 wRC+ over 84 plate appearances. Seven of his nine home runs have also come with a lefty on the mound.

Defensively, Pham grades below average in centre (-1 DRS, 0 OAA in 2023) and left (1 DRS, -3 OAA) but is above average in arm strength and speed, making him a viable lefty platoon specialist.

OF Lane Thomas

With the Washington Nationals declared sellers yet again, trading a former Blue Jays draft pick could further strengthen their already impressive farm system at this year’s deadline.

Thomas, a fifth-round selection by Toronto in 2014, is enjoying a breakout performance south of the border as he’s posted career-highs in AVG (.293), OBP (.342), SLG (.488), ISO (.195), wOBA (.356), wRC+ (122) and fWAR (1.9) over 94 games. He is also on pace to surpass his previous marks in home runs (17) and RBIs (52).

Most of that damage has come versus left-handers. He owns the seventh-highest average (.361) and the 12th-highest OBP (.411) and SLG (.630) in the majors among qualified right-handed hitters (min. 50 plate appearances).

The 27-year-old is flawed, particularly in the outfield (-3 DRS, -10 OAA over 2,597 career innings) and at generating walks (5.9%, 16th percentile), but his bat-to-ball skills against lefties set him apart from the crowd. Plus, he features elite quickness as his sprint speed (29.2 feet per second) ranks in the 94th percentile.

Toronto may have to pay a sizeable return for Thomas, who is under team control through 2025. They’d need to act cautiously, though, as his average quality of contact metrics (40.5% hard-hit rate) makes his sustainability questionable.

OF Tyler O’Neill

Looking to make the best of a disastrous 2023 campaign, the St. Louis Cardinals appear to be in full sell-mode ahead of Aug. 1, and it’s a pretty safe bet O’Neill will be playing elsewhere once the deadline passes.

The Burnaby, B.C., native has been sidelined since early May due to a back injury but will return from the injured list on Thursday. His stint may not last long, however, as the 28-year-old’s future has been debated since his heated exchange with skipper Oliver Marmol over a baserunning blunder on April 4.

From the Blue Jays’ perspective, now would be an opportunistic time to pursue O’Neill, whose value has plummeted amidst a poor offensive showing, where he’s slashed .228/.283/.337 with a 73 wRC+ over just 29 games, worth minus-0.3 fWAR.

Despite these struggles, the Canadian slugger is only two seasons removed from blasting 34 home runs in 2021 — seven of which came versus left-handed pitching. He also hit .289/.388/.639 with a .349 ISO and a 171 wRC+ in 98 right-on-left matchups.

Injuries have derailed his progress over the last two seasons, including 2023, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to buy low on a former two-time Gold Glove Award winner, who is under team control beyond next season.

INF/OF Connor Joe

The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t rushing to trade Joe this season, nor should they, but they’ll likely be inclined to field offers considering he’ll turn 31 next month and doesn’t align with the franchise’s competitive window.

On the surface, the veteran righty’s offensive production doesn’t jump off the page, and rightly so, given his 107 wRC+ in 83 games. When specified against lefty pitching, though, it looks far more appealing, courtesy of his .290/.394/.516 slash line, 0.58 walk-to-strikeout ratio, .226 ISO and 148 wRC+ across 109 plate appearances.

Joe also possesses tremendous knowledge of the strike zone, leading to his 18.1% chase rate (97th percentile). And he plays multiple positions, featuring prior experience at first, second and third base, plus left and right field.

With Joe not eligible for free agency until after 2027, the Pirates’ demands may exceed the Blue Jays’ ideal price point. They might be able to bridge that gap by offering an expendable player or two from their 40-man roster, though.

OF Austin Slater

For a Giants lineup boasting several interchangeable parts, there could be a potential scenario where Slater becomes available — an opportunity the Blue Jays should jump at if it comes to fruition.

The 30-year-old, a free agent after 2024, has been limited to just 38 games this season due to separate hamstring and elbow injuries. Now that he’s healthy, the veteran righty has demolished lefties over a modest 59-plate-appearance sample size.

Slater has hit .365/.441/.577 with three home runs, a .212 ISO and a 180 wRC+ thus far. But his impressive splits run deeper, evidenced by his career .292/.382/.478 slash line and 136 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.

It could be tricky to acquire Slater, who's capable of playing all three outfield positions, since the Giants lead the NL wild-card race. Still, he’d undoubtedly act as a difference-maker in a platoon role for the Blue Jays down the stretch.