Report: Blue Jays’ Ryan Tepera generating trade interest

Baseball Central checks in with Fisher Cats manager John Schneider to see how his club is making out without Vladimir Guerrero Jr., including who's stepped up in his absence.

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ryan Tepera is generating trade interest, even though the club has no urgency to move him, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Several members of the Blue Jays’ relief corps will be free agents at the end of the season, including John Axford, Aaron Loup and Tyler Clippard. As a result, each could be moved ahead of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Tepera, however, is enjoying a better 2018 than those pitchers and would be more attractive to contending teams.

The right-hander owns a 2.75 ERA and career-high 9.5 K/9 rate across 34 games and 36 innings this season. He has spent some time in the closer’s role of late, with Roberto Osuna on administrative leave, collecting four saves.

Tepera, 30, will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this off-season and is under team control through the 2021 season. Because of that, any acquiring team will likely need to give up a considerable return for the hard-thrower.

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