The Blue Jays have climbed into the AL playoff race with what they have, but there’s reason to suspect it might not be enough.
They have allowed six more runs than they have scored, no thanks in part to a rotation that has a 4.61 ERA. Chris Bassitt and José Berríos have ERAs in the mid-3.00s, but everyone else Toronto has tried has struggled.
True, Max Scherzer is coming back on Wednesday. Yet knowing he’s made 10 starts since the beginning of last year and he’ll turn 41 on July 27, the Blue Jays probably shouldn’t count on him to be a savior.
As for whether two AL East rivals would really hook up on a trade, let’s just assume the usual playbook wouldn’t apply here. As Buehler is a rental without much value, neither Boston nor Toronto would have to go into a potential trade spooked about the long-term ramifications.
Here’s the question the Blue Jays would need to answer: What about Buehler’s 2025 season suggests he can succeed in the AL East?
It’s been a rough debut for him in the division, and his one start against the leader (i.e., the New York Yankees) saw him get shellacked for eight runs over 3.1 innings. And if he left Boston for Toronto, he’d eventually be tasked with facing a more dangerous offense than the one the Blue Jays have.
