The Toronto Blue Jays are 19-24, and the injury pileup in their starting rotation has left them searching for help. One name being floated is Sandy Alcantara, the former Cy Young winner who has already shown flashes of that form this season.
The push for pitching comes after a start that fell short of the expectations that followed Toronto’s World Series appearance. Cody Ponce, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Blue Jays in December, was hurt on March 30 in his first MLB game since 2021, when he faced the Rockies and sprained his right ACL in late March before later needing season-ending surgery. He should be available for the start of spring training, but his injury is part of a larger problem for a club that has seen several other arms land on the injured list.
That is why Alcantara has surfaced in the conversation. A source cited in the discussion said the Blue Jays should give the Marlins a call about the right-hander, who is under a $56 million contract and has been linked to trade speculation before. For Toronto, the appeal is obvious: the offense has enough talent to be good, but the rotation has not held up long enough to let that matter.
The contrast is stark. Toronto entered the season with hopes built on a trip to the World Series, but the 19-24 record has instead turned the focus to damage control. Alcantara would not fix everything, and any deal would cost prospect capital, but he would give the Blue Jays the kind of front-line starter they no longer seem able to wait for internally.
That is the tension in Toronto now. Ponce was supposed to help stabilize the staff after returning to the majors, and instead his setback became one more reason the Blue Jays are being pushed toward the trade market. If they are serious about staying in the race, they may have to act before the injuries strip away what remains of their margin for error.
