Taylor Ward has had a rough go since landing with the Mariners, and the Blue Jays could benefit.

For the season, Ward is hitting .230 with seven home runs, 34 RBIs, and 69 runs scored across 128 games.

Ninety-four walks against 122 strikeouts shows a hitter who still controls the strike zone, even while the average has cratered.

That combination is exactly the kind of profile that gets undervalued after a rough year, a real skill buried under a bad batting line.

He's been quiet lately too, without a home run over his last 10 games, continuing a power outage that's followed him since the trade.

None of that erases what made him a real contributor earlier in his career, someone capable of producing at a much higher level in the right situation.

A down year, especially one that includes a mid-season move to a new team, often depresses a player's market more than his underlying skills justify.

Why a one-year prove-it deal makes sense for both sides

Toronto's offense has needed more consistent bats all season, and a low-cost flier on a player still walking at this rate fits that need without breaking the budget.

A one-year prove-it contract limits Toronto's exposure if the struggles continue, while giving Ward a real chance to rebuild his value somewhere with a fresh start.

That's the kind of deal that works when a front office believes the underlying skills haven't disappeared, just the results on balls in play.

Ward's still just 32, an age where a bounce-back is entirely plausible if his timing and confidence come back together in a new environment.

Toronto has shown a willingness to add mid-tier veterans on shorter deals rather than committing long-term money to unproven fits.

Whether Ward is actually available at the price Toronto would want to pay depends on how Seattle views his trade value heading into the offseason.

For a Blue Jays team that's needed outfield and lineup depth all year, a player with this kind of track record on a cheap, short-term deal is exactly the type of buy-low bet worth exploring.