Aaron Sanchez remains a major variable for the Toronto Blue Jays as they approach the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.
If the Blue Jays move Sanchez to the bullpen later in the season, as they initially indicated, the club would be relatively thin in terms of rotation depth beyond their starting five.
Drew Hutchison, who has made a couple spot starts this season, would presumably slide into Sanchez’s spot in the rotation. It’s a nice option to have, but beyond that there aren’t many legitimate big-league options for the Blue Jays down in triple-A.
In the event of an injury to another starter, they’d risk being exposed at one of the most important positions in the sport.
To guard against that possibility, the Blue jays could look outside the organization. Here are 10 candidates the Blue Jays could consider for a possible trade…
RENTAL OPTIONS
Rich Hill, Oakland Athletics: 
At 36 years old, Hill is having the best season of his career. He’s the most likely candidate to be dealt before the deadline, but his spike in performance has increased his acquisition cost. The left-hander has a stellar 2.25 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 76 innings, which would obviously appeal to Toronto as some of the team’s scouts were reportedly on hand to watch his last start. Realistically, it’s difficult to foresee the Blue Jays giving up top prospects for a rental player with a track record of questionable durability.
Jeremy Hellickson, Philadelphia Phillies: 
Hellickson has performed well for a lousy Phillies team, going 6-6 with a 3.92 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 105.2 innings. He has experience pitching in the AL East, having posted a 3.78 ERA in five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. Overall, he’s not a game-changer but he can eat up enough innings to upgrade the middle of a rotation for a potential playoff club.
Andrew Cashner, San Diego Padres: 
The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract, so the Padres will likely look to maximize his value. The challenging part of determining his current trade value is his health. Cashner has only made four starts since June 4 and he was roughed up in his last appearance, giving up eight earned runs in 2.2 innings against the the Los Angeles Dodgers. If the Blue Jays are interested in trading for Cashner, they are likely going to be in a wait-and-see mode until he shows more consistency. Cashner has a career 3.76 ERA with 540 strikeouts in 656 career innings pitched with the Padres and Chicago Cubs.
Jorge De La Rosa, Colorado Rockies: 
De La Rosa is likely the cheapest rental option in terms of acquisition cost, but he’s the least appealing option on the list in terms of on-field performance. He has an alarmingly high ERA (5.47) this season, and missed some time with a groin strain. It’s also a bit strange how his numbers are far worse on the road than they are at Coors Field, the toughest pitchers’ park in all of baseball. If the Blue Jays could land him for a reasonable price, he could serve as a depth arm.
CONTROLLABLE OPTIONS
Drew Pomeranz, San Diego Padres: The first-time all-star continues to pop up in trade rumours because of a breakout season. Pomeranz would provide the Blue Jays with a second left-handed option in the rotation, along with J.A. Happ, but his age (27) and contract status (controllable through the end of 2018) would make him difficult to acquire. He had a great first half, going 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 102 innings after pitching out of the bullpen for most of last year. That combination of performance and control would appeal to any front office, including Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, who drafted and developed Pomeranz in Cleveland before trading him for Ubaldo Jimenez.
Jon Niese, Pittsburgh Pirates: 
Niese is hardly a name that would move the needle, as evidenced by his career 4.02 ERA, but he would provide the kind of affordable depth and stability that the club could use, assuming the Pirates are willing to deal at the deadline. The 29-year-old lefty has pitched 464.6 innings over the past two-plus seasons solidifying his reputation as a solid innings eater.
Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics: The Blue Jays paid a signifcant price to acquire David Price last season so it remains a long shot that the club would move enough prospect capital to land Gray from Oakland. Still, the Blue Jays reportedly scouted the right-hander last week and the club has worked out deals with the Athletics in the past, including the Josh Donaldson trade during the winter of 2014. Gray has a 5.14 ERA in 90.2 innings while his strikeout rate has taken a minor dip.
Dan Straily, Cincinnati Reds: 
Straily provides an interesting case for the Reds. He is controllable until the end of the 2020 season, but could be a logical trade candidate considering he has been a fairly functional pitcher this season after being claimed on waivers. Straily has a 4.35 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 45 walks in 101.1 innings this season and has a career 4.53 ERA in five seasons with the Athletics, Reds, Cubs, and Houston Astros. It could be time to sell high.
Ervin Santana, Minnesota Twins:
The Twins have the worst record in baseball, so they’ll likely be looking to move some veteran players this month. Santana has been linked to the Blue Jays in the past, albeit with a different front office in place. The 33-year-old has a 4.06 ERA with an unimpressive strikeout total (68 Ks in 93 innings) in 16 starts this season, even after posting a 1.63 ERA over his past four appearances. He is a fairly reliable innings-eater who has a career 4.16 ERA in 12 big-league seasons. A potential problem? He’s scheduled to make $27 million over the next two seasons.
Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves: 
Teheran has been mentioned in trade rumours all season, and with frontline pitching seemingly in short supply, the right-hander will draw plenty of interest. He’s Atlanta’s best remaining trade chip, so unless the Braves significantly lower their asking price, it’s difficult to imagine the Blue Jays getting deep in trade talks, despite his significant upside.
