Gage Stanifer is moving into John Schneider's trade conversation, and Johnny King may not be far behind.
Toronto's next big deadline push may be less about who comes up and more about who gets moved. The two young arms surfacing hardest in trade chatter are Stanifer and King, both viewed as pieces Toronto could use if it shops for another major-league pitcher.
That idea lands because the Blue Jays are 32-34 and still trying to climb after taking the weekend series from Baltimore. The club has looked better lately, but the pitching plan has still felt patched together far too often.
Even with Max Scherzer and Dylan Cease getting close, Toronto's rotation still feels like it needs one more real answer. Scherzer threw 73 pitches in Buffalo on June 5, while Cease got to 75 in his rehab outing and is viewed as close to returning.
Stanifer is the cleaner trade chip for a rebuilding club to target. MLB Pipeline lists the 22-year-old right-hander as Toronto's No. 5 prospect, and he has 54 strikeouts in 43.1 innings at Double-A New Hampshire.
King is the tougher call. The 19-year-old lefty sits No. 3 in the system, and his 2.20 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 32.2 innings at High-A Vancouver is the kind of line that gets rival scouts paying attention in a hurry.
Toronto finally has pitching prospects it can leverage
The Blue Jays have already shown they will move real prospect value when the big-league club has a shot. Last deadline, Toronto dealt three Top 10 pitching prospects to land Shane Bieber, Louis Varland, Ty France and Seranthony Dominguez for the stretch run.
That history matters now. Stanifer fits the near-term starter mold that can headline a win-now deal, while King is the younger upside arm who can make another club listen harder when Toronto calls.
The hard part is value. These are not the kinds of prospects a contender throws in lightly, especially when King is only 19 and Stanifer has already reached Double-A.
Still, this is what a healthy farm system is supposed to do. Toronto finally has enough pitching depth that it can talk about moving from that group without feeling like it is cutting into bone.
That is why this trade chatter feels different from the old versions. The Blue Jays are no longer just hoping the farm can save them from within; they now have young arms other teams would actually line up to ask for.
Now the pressure shifts to the deadline board. If Toronto stays in the race, Gage Stanifer and Johnny King may stop being farm-system success stories and start being the names tied to the next major swing.
Should the Blue Jays trade Gage Stanifer or Johnny King for pitching help?
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