Schneider: Toronto Blue Jays’ next moves ‘murky’ ahead of MLB trade deadline

TORONTO — Although the Blue Jays pride themselves on clear communication with their players, manager John Schneider said it’s still “murky” what Toronto will be doing ahead of Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.

The standing assumption heading into this weekend has been that the club will be sellers ahead of Monday night’s cutoff for teams to swap. After all, Toronto (51-59) was in last in the American League East and sat 4 1/2 games out of a wild-card berth after beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 on Friday.

But Schneider said in a pre-game media availability that although he’s participating in daily meetings with Toronto’s front office, he hasn’t been directly told if the Blue Jays will be adding or subtracting from the roster.

“I haven’t been told by anyone above me that we’re selling,” said Schneider, sitting at his desk inside Rogers Centre. “I know this gets covered a ton, and MLB Network makes it its own little thing, and everyone writes about it, but we’re just trying to be as clear as we can with everyone.

“And at the same time, just understanding that there is some murkiness to it, and that’s part of it.”

Toronto was a buyer ahead of last year’s deadline as the team geared up for a deep playoff run, eventually reaching the World Series where it lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. The Blue Jays were sellers in 2024, however, trading pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros, catcher Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox, and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier to the Dodgers, among other deals.

Schneider said that this year doesn’t feel like 2024.

“It’s easier to kind of squint and see where you want to get to than it was in ’24. I think that’s why it’s different,” said Schneider, referring to Toronto’s 51-58 record at the 2024 deadline. “I think my job and the staff’s job is to make it (feel) normal … you’ve got to go out and you got to try to beat the Cardinals.

“Whenever conversations have to happen, if they happen, you have them. But it doesn’t feel as drastic as it did a couple of years ago.”

After Toronto’s victory on Friday Schneider said the small improvement in the wild-card race didn’t especially make things any clearer.

“I don’t know. Maybe?” said Schneider in his post-game news conference. “I think that no matter what happens over the next couple of days, I want the guys to play like they did today and have a little bit of urgency and understand what needs to be done in certain situations.”

If the Blue Jays decide it’s time to reload for next season, it’s likely that starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber would be on the trade block, as well as outfielders Daulton Varsho and George Springer.

Gausman was seen taking a bullpen session hours before Friday’s game. He’s pencilled in as Toronto’s starter Saturday. The veteran right-hander has repeatedly told reporters he doesn’t want to leave the Blue Jays, but also understands baseball is a business.

“It’s impossible to ignore nowadays with social media,” Gausman said July 21 about Toronto’s struggles with the deadline looming. “We kind of all know it’s going on and, unfortunately, we knew we kind of needed to come out of the gate strong (from the all-star break), and we really haven’t.

“We just haven’t played very well lately.”

Fellow starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who signed a seven-year, US$210 million contract with Toronto in the off-season, said he tries not to think about the trade deadline.

“I wouldn’t say ignore it, just so much of it is out of my control that you know I’m really kind of just focusing on my day-to-day things,” said Cease after striking out seven Cardinals and allowing just one run. “I don’t really get worked up about it.”

Schneider has spent his entire coaching career within the Blue Jays organization, becoming Toronto’s manager on July 13, 2022, after his predecessor Charlie Montoyo was fired. He said he’s become used to having difficult conversations with players.

“You try to have them as much as you can, which sounds weird, but I think that you try to have them as much as you can, so there’s nothing surprising, no stone left unturned,” said Schneider. “Right now is a weird time, you know what I mean?

“But me and the staff, you can’t live in that world. Maybe on Monday or Tuesday there’s more time to talk about it, sure.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press