5-player blockbuster trade has the Blue Jays landing a few big pieces from the Cardinals

The "retooling" phase is over. It's time for a definitive strike. The Toronto Blue Jays cannot enter the 2026 campaign with a lineup composed of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and eight question marks.

With the free agent market picked clean of impact bats, the trade market is the only avenue left to salvage this roster.

The St. Louis Cardinals are the perfect dance partner. They are stuck in their own purgatory and desperately need high-upside pitching to reset their rotation for the future.

The Proposal:

Toronto Blue Jays receive: OF Lars Nootbaar, LHP JoJo Romero

St. Louis Cardinals receive: LHP Ricky Tiedemann, SS Arjun Nimmala, SS Leo Jiemenz

This is a steep price, but "prospect hugging" is what got the Jays into this mess. Tiedemann has "Ace" potential, but his inability to stay healthy makes him a volatile asset Toronto can no longer afford to wait on.

The Blue Jays have been linked to quite a few blockbuster trades over the past few weeks but no moves have been made just yet.

Nootbaar brings the elite plate discipline (.360+ OBP potential) and exit velocity metrics that this front office worships. He isn't the 40-homer threat Tucker is, but he plays winning baseball and lengthens the lineup immediately.

Adding JoJo Romero shores up a bullpen that has been leaking oil for two years.

He gives the manager a legitimate high-leverage lefty who can miss bats in the 8th inning.

For the Cardinals, landing Tiedemann gives them the potential frontline starter they haven't been able to develop internally. Nimmala offers them a lottery ticket shortstop with massive power potential.

The bleacher creatures might hate losing the "next big thing" in Tiedemann, but potential doesn't win games in the AL East. Vladdy needs help now, not in 2028.

If Atkins pulls the trigger, he proves he's still trying to win. If he sits on his hands again, the rebuild might as well start tomorrow.