Blue Jays got off of $55 million in contracts with trade deadline moves

Toronto Blue Jays management was a very busy group heading into yesterday’s trade deadline, moving out eight rostered players.

The first trade came on Friday when the Jays sent reliever Yimi Garcia to the Seattle Mariners. In the time between then and yesterday’s trade deadline, they also moved Nate Pearson, Danny Jansen, Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi, Trevor Richards, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Kevin Kiermaier.

Aside from Kiermaier, who was dealt for 32-year-old reliever Ryan Yarbrough, all these players were moved for prospects. That saw a lot of money go out for the Blue Jays, as all the players moved combined for $55.2 million in salary.

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— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) July 30, 2024

The Blue Jays needed to shed some salary to fall below the $237 million tax threshold. They were able to do just that and now sit just above $227 million, as per Spotrac.

Spotrac

Any MLB team that finds themselves above the luxury tax threshold is subject to an increasing tax rate. The Jays were on the verge of being one of those teams, but the deadline work from general manager Ross Atkins allowed them to avoid being such. Last season, the Jays were over what was then a $233 million maximum, and were taxed roughly $5.5 million as a result.

Ideally, the Blue Jays would be in a much better spot than their 50-58 record has them, which wouldn’t have resulted in them being sellers. That said, this season hasn’t at all gone to plan, and management acted accordingly to avoid being over the tax threshold.

Despite their struggles this season, Blue Jays management is reportedly aiming to have the team be competitive again in 2025, as they look to get back into the playoffs. While they have some solid pieces on their roster, they will likely look to add more talent in the offseason, whether it be through free agency or some trades.

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