Blue Jays on two-game winning streak, but attention on Monday’s trade deadline

Kevin Gausman, a pending free agent, is projected to start Saturday.

Published Jul 31, 2026  •  Last updated 21 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rogers Centre on July 31, 2026 in Toronto. Photo by Vaughn Ridley /Getty Images

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The Detroit Tigers scratched right-hander Casey Mize from his scheduled start as a non-injury precaution ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, while Freddy Peralta has tossed his final pitch with the New York Mets as the club ensures the righty doesn’t suffer an injury in the ensuing days.

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The Blue Jays, who opened a three-game weekend series Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, haven’t tipped their hand, though the baseball industry fully expects the underachieving club to be sellers.

“I haven’t been told by anyone above me (management) that we’re selling,” manager John Schneider conveyed to the media during his pre-game availability.

“I know this (trade deadline) 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.”

Two years ago, the Jays were in complete sell mode and engineered six different deals, including with five players who were each pending free agents.

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As Monday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline approaches, a potential hybrid approach where the Jays emerge as buyers and sellers might be in play.

As of Friday, veteran Kevin Gausman, a pending free agent, was projected to start Saturday.

Another pending free agent is Max Scherzer, who is scheduled to start in Sunday’s series finale.

No such uncertainty surrounds Dylan Cease, who started for the Jays in the series opener.

For the first time since the all-star break, the Jays have won two games in a row. Their 3-1 victory on Friday was highlighted by a pinch-hit two-run single by Luis Urias in the eighth inning.

The following are three takeaways on a night Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned to the lineup after sitting out Wednesday because of hamstring tightness, hitting second in the lineup and nearly going deep for the first time at home since last August.

CY OF RELIEF

Cease has turned into destination viewing, every start carrying the possibility of the right-hander flirting with a no-hitter, an achievement that has played out only once in Blue Jays history (Dave Stieb in 1990).

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Friday marked Cease’s final start for the month of July.

Of his previous four starts in the month, the lone hiccup came against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, when Cease yielded five runs on seven hits.

The stretch also featured Cease taking a no-hit bid into the ninth inning in San Francisco before the Giants led off the frame with a single.

The highlight came in Cease’s most recent outing in Boston, when he pitched a complete-game one-hitter, although a career-high 120 pitches were required. It was the first one-hitter recorded by a Jays pitcher since 2010 as Cease made a strong case as a Cy Young Award candidate.

Against the Cardinals, Cease surrendered his first hit on a leadoff double in the fourth inning, but pitched around it to keep the Cardinals scoreless.

Cease wasn’t as fortunate in the fifth, when a leadoff single came around to score.

On this night, Cease gave the Jays six complete innings of three-hit ball, seven strikeouts, while issuing three walks and yielding the one run.

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SPRINGER HEATING UP

The one thing about George Springer heading into Monday is that he holds all the cards. He is a veteran who has spent the past five seasons with the same club, a status that permits Springer veto power over any trade.

That’s not to say Springer can’t be traded, but the Jays will need him to agree to any deal, in theory to a destination of his choice.

He has been raking at the plate and Springer reached base on a single in his first at-bat Friday.

Springer, who played through a broken foot for almost a month, has played in the outfield only once this season.

It’s hard to speculate whether Springer’s limited role as DH may deter suitors.

As a right-handed bat whose post-season resume is well-documented, it’s also easy to see why a contending team looking for a veteran would also be interested.

In his past 15 games heading into Friday, Springer had recorded 17 hits, including four home runs.

SKINNY ON SANCHEZ

Jesus Sanchez was reinstated from the IL (ankle) before the game, and immediately started in left field Friday night.

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What the future holds for Sanchez remains very much up in the air.

He is arbitration eligible, has shown a knack for going deep, but his outfield defence is sketchy.

In fairness, he did make a nice catch on a liner.

Still, his near $7-million contract is not commensurate with his skills.

He was acquired by the Jays this past February from Houston for Joey Loperfido, who was initially dealt to Toronto at the trade deadline two years ago.

UP NEXT

While all eyes will be on Gausman, it would be foolish not to take a glimpse at Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews, a touted left-hander who is expected to make his big-league debut; in his final 10 starts at triple-A Memphis, the 25-year-old Mathews posted a 1.59 ERA; in four July starts, Gausman didn’t surrender a homer; in his most recent outing in Toronto, the veteran gave up nine hits in 3.1 innings against Tampa Bay; the kid versus the veteran matchup should be fun, not to mention dripping with emotion if Saturday does prove to be Gausman’s final appearance for the Jays.

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   As trade deadline clock ticks, Blue Jays appear poised to ship out some fan favorites

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