5 players Toronto Blue Jays could target before the trade deadline

It's May 20, and the Toronto Blue Jays are 20-18. They're third place in the American League East division, putting them three games behind the second-place Tampa Bay Rays and eight behind the New York Yankees.

The Blue Jays were touted as baseball's second-best team during Spring Training. Highly-regarded MLB analyst Buster Olney predicted them to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. That's still possible; it just doesn't seem likely at this point. The Yankees look like a much more realistic American League contender right now.

Here are 5 players the Toronto Blue Jays could target before the trade deadline

This is baseball. Slumps happen all the time, as do blockbuster trades. The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to break out of an extended slump. When they do that, adding star talent will be next on the agenda. Here are five realistic trade candidates for the Toronto Blue Jays before the deadline.

#5 Juan Soto

Trade rumors have been surrounding Washington Nationals OF Juan Soto of late.

Before looking at logistics, let's set one thing straight: The Toronto Blue Jays will have a hard time acquiring Juan Soto. The Washington Nationals superstar is underperforming right now compared to his usual output. He's batting .250 with an .864 OPS over 173 plate appearances this season. For comparison, he hit .313 in 2021 and .351 in 2020. His OPS is usually around or beyond 1.000.

Soto's uncharacteristically low statistics right now don't make him any cheaper, nor do they mean the Nationals even want to trade him. But the team is in a tough spot. They're 13-26 without much star talent other than Soto and first baseman Josh Bell. The Nationals could rake in dividends by trading Soto or Bell, so let's pretend they do.

"If you’re a Blue Jays fan and you wanna come up with a potential cost to acquire Soto…just imagine what return you’d need in order to give up Vladdy, and then make it more" - @ Doug Doucette

If the Toronto Blue Jays want Soto, they'll have to pay a hefty price. Minor league phenom Gabriel Moreno would probably go to Washington in the deal, as would a couple major league talents. Outfielders Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez would likely become trade candidates. They could also throw in catcher Alejandro Kirk to sweeten the deal.

#4 Drew Rasmussen

Tampa Bay Rays SP Drew Rasmussen holds a 0.91 WHIP this season.

Moving on to more likely trade possibilities, Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen could solve a lot of problems for the Jays. To start, the Rays don't utilize him to his maximum potential. Skipper Kevin Cash loves using his bullpen from the sixth inning onward, meaning Rasmussen only pitches five innings per start on average. To illustrate that, Rasmussen has thrown only 38.2 over his first eight starts.

The 26-year-old has more in him than that. His walk percentage is in the league's 81st percentile, meaning he doesn't run up his pitch count with balls. His fastball has some of the best spin in the majors, which generates a good deal of ground balls.

Rasmussen is the Rays' number two starter right now, but he'll become their number three once Shane Baz returns from injury. With Jays starter Hyun-jin Ryu struggling this season, Rasmussen would be an excellent rotation addition. What's more, the Toronto Blue Jays can offer the Rays offensive pieces, which is exactly what they need for a deeper playoff run.

Rasumussen would probably be happy to pitch in Toronto even as a number-four starter. He'd get more playing time. Jays skipper Charlie Montoyo would let him earn his innings.

#3 Frankie Montas

Oakland Athletics SP Frankie Montas has posted a 3.67 ERA this season.

We know: The Blue Jays should focus on their bullpen instead of their rotation. But Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas is too good a possibility to pass up. The 29-year-old is among the league's best for chase rate and strikeout percentage. He has good fastball velocity, as his four-seamer averages around 96 mph. And he knows how to mix things up with his cutter and changeup too.

The best part about Montas is his contract and team. The Oakland Athletics are going through a major rebuild. They've sold almost all their star players already excepting Montas. He becomes a free agent in 2024 and is only on a one-year deal with the A's right now. The Athletics could use him to snag some prospects from the Jays.

#2 Ian Happ

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly linked to Chicago Cubs OF Ian Happ.

Not only would Ian Happ make sense for the Toronto Blue Jays, but they're also officially interested in him. Multiple sources reported this week that General Manager Ross Stripling was in talks with the Chicago Cubs to acquire him. Ian Happ is a switch hitter, meaning he'd bring a much-needed left-handed bat to the Blue Jays lineup.

"The #BlueJays have shown interest in Ian Happ and have had brief discussions with the #Nationals about Josh Bell." - @ MLB News Network

Happ knows how to get on base. He's hitting .272 over 138 plate appearances this season. He also knows how to walk. The 27-year-old is 97th base-on-balls percentile. He would be an excellent leadoff hitter for George Springer, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to hit behind.

#1 Josh Bell

Washington Nationals 1B Josh Bell would bring contact-hitting and a LHB to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup.

Like Happ, Josh Bell is a switch hitter. Unlike Happ, Josh Bell is an All-Star power hitter. He's in the league's 93rd expected batting average percentile, and he rarely strikes out. Over 136 at-bats, he's recorded 43 hits, four home runs, and 22 RBIs. His .316 average is one of the MLB's best.

The bad news about Josh Bell is his price tag. The Blue Jays would send away star talent and prospects for the 29-year-old. Bell becomes a free agent this offseason, so the Blue Jays wouldn't have to hold on to him. But they'd mortgage quite a bit of their future in obtaining him.