Jay Harry is giving John Schneider a reason to revisit one of Toronto's quietest deadline deals, and it is starting to look like a real win.
Back on July 31, 2024, the Blue Jays sent Trevor Richards to the Twins for Harry, a 22-year-old infielder who looked more like a depth add than a headline return.
Now the deal looks different. Harry, 23, has opened 2026 with Double-A New Hampshire by hitting .345 with a .374 on-base percentage, a .956 OPS, 4 home runs, and 29 RBI in 110 at-bats.
That jump matters because last season was rough. Jays Journal noted Harry hit .199 with a .572 OPS across 100 games split between New Hampshire and High-A Vancouver in 2025.
The breakout has picked up even more steam in May. Through May 22, he had 7 multi-hit games, 12 extra-base hits, 18 RBI, and an OPS above 1.000 for the month.
It has not been empty noise, either. MiLB's game log shows Harry hit a grand slam on May 20 and followed it with another homer on May 21 for the Fisher Cats.
Why Jay Harry is changing the trade story
This matters because Toronto did not move a major asset to get him. The Blue Jays dealt an expiring reliever and took a shot on a young utility infielder the Twins had drafted in the 6th round in 2023.
Harry still is not a finished product, but the shape of the player is getting easier to see. He is a left-handed hitter with middle-infield roots who is finally driving the ball with authority.
That makes the Twins' side look even thinner. Richards posted a 4.15 ERA in 10 games for Minnesota after the trade, and the club designated him for assignment on August 27, 2024.
So the original swap already aged better for Toronto than it did for Minnesota. One club got a month of shaky relief work. The other got a 23-year-old who is forcing his way back onto the prospect radar.
That does not mean Harry is suddenly knocking on the Rogers Centre door. Double-A hot streaks do not always survive the next jump, and the Blue Jays still need to see this over a longer stretch.
But this is how small deadline wins start. A throw-in becomes a real bat, the numbers stop looking fluky, and the trade gets remembered for the player nobody cared much about at the time.
For Toronto, that is the bigger takeaway. Jay Harry is not just salvaging a forgotten deal with the Twins. He is giving the Blue Jays a real chance to say they turned Trevor Richards into something that actually matters.
Is Jay Harry becoming one of the Blue Jays' best under-the-radar trade wins?
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