Toronto hoards prospects in 8 Deadline deals

This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

TORONTO -- Eight trades later, the Blue Jays are finally done with a whirlwind Trade Deadline.

They dealt eight players for 13 prospects and Ryan Yarbrough, the lone veteran they acquired from the Dodgers in the Kevin Kiermaier trade. Yarbrough had recently been designated for assignment by Los Angeles, but he’ll have his role in Toronto down the stretch, pitching bulk innings between the bullpen and rotation.

The prospects bring a refreshing wave of hope with them, though, with eight joining the Blue Jays’ Top 30 Prospects list.

Let’s take a look at four of the most exciting additions, all of whom could help the Blue Jays in 2025.

Joey Loperfido, OF

Loperfido made his Blue Jays debut Wednesday in Baltimore, and he should get regular reps down the stretch. He’s still looking for his groove in the big leagues, but the 25-year-old was on fire in Triple-A, batting .272 with 13 home runs and a .933 OPS over 39 games.

“He’s really interesting. He’s a late bloomer,” said general manager Ross Atkins. “He came into his strength later than the average player his age and has already had a ton of Minor League success for someone that has continued to get better. I think it’s coming into his athleticism and learning how to maximize it for him.”

Loperfido’s upside is tantalizing. He’ll have every opportunity to be the starting left fielder in 2025.

Jake Bloss, RHP (No. 3 prospect)

What a haul for Yusei Kikuchi. In Bloss, the Blue Jays get a young starter who could immediately pitch in their rotation. He’ll head to Dunedin first to check in with the club’s development staff, but from there, he could join the big club soon.

“To be 23 years old and already competing at this level is really impressive,” Atkins said. “The athleticism and delivery really stood out to us. It’s a big-time fastball that doesn’t have a ton of effort to it. Pitchers that have these shapes of fastballs with solid secondary weapons have strong athletic deliveries and who we project to be durable with youth on their side often have the chance to get better and better and better.”

Blue Jays manager John Schneider has heard nothing but great things about Bloss from his friends around baseball, who describe Bloss as a heady pitcher with a background in math and economics.

“He’s a smart dude. He’s a sharp dude and he kind of learned on the fly this year,” Schneider said. “I’m looking forward to meeting him. He sounds like a lefty who’s a righty, you know what I mean? That kind of personality.”

Jonatan Clase, OF (No. 8 prospect)

Clase is a fun one. He instantly lands alongside Canadian outfielder Dasan Brown (No. 28 prospect) as one of the best athletes in the organization. It’s all about how quickly his bat comes along, but he adds an element the Blue Jays are lacking and has the upside this organization can dream on. He’ll be a great project for Matt Hague and Toronto's hitting coaches.

“Clase is about as athletic as they come,” Atkins said. “He stole 79 bases a year ago, [he] has power, the speed tool is obvious and we feel he has a chance to be an elite defender. Depending on how good that bat becomes -- it’s already been solid in the Minor Leagues -- he probably has the most upside of any player we acquired.”

Clase should be up for the stretch run and could share some outfield time with Loperfido, perhaps giving the Blue Jays more opportunities to use George Springer as the designated hitter or get Daulton Varsho off his feet.

Charles McAdoo, 3B (No. 14 prospect)

McAdoo, who came over from the Pirates for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, doesn’t exactly fit the Blue Jays’ “type” … and that’s a good thing. This system needs more high-upside bats like McAdoo, an exciting athlete with immense power potential. Over 87 games between High-A and Double-A, he has hit .315 with 14 home runs and a .932 OPS.

“The power and the contact rates are solid," Atkins said. "He’s very, very dynamic and extremely physical, and from what we’ve learned, an exceptional human being who is focused on improvement and getting better. I know he was revered in that organization.”

Consider McAdoo about a year behind prospects like Clase or a player like Loperfido, but he could still help the Blue Jays in 2025 or ‘26, and he has the potential to really pop if his power takes the next step in the Minor Leagues.