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This week\u2019s MLB Mailbag will tackle questions on a potential (likely?) deadline sell-off for the Jays, the extent to which starting pitchers can hurt their stock with poor outings leading into the deadline, some possible White Sox targets, the Giants\u2019 veteran trade candidates, the Pirates\u2019 closing need, Royals outfielder Lane Thomas<\/a><\/strong> and more!<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get into it all:<\/p>\n M. Brule asks:<\/strong><\/p>\n As the Jays start to sell off players. Who do you think should be their target acquisition? It\u2019s feeling more and more like Santander is not ever coming back, the Jays lack of power is on full show this year. Which free agent would you chase to help fill the gap? Any chance the jays can swing a trade to get Elly De La Cruz<\/a><\/strong> to be their shortstop next year? He would be a marked upgrade of Gimenez and brings a swagger to the team that is really missing.<\/strong><\/p>\n Broadly, whenever a team is selling pieces at the deadline, the goal should simply be to add the best prospects possible. That\u2019s a boring answer, but if the Jays are waving the white flag on the current season, they should care less about filling specific needs within the organization and more about maximizing talent. Even if they acquire more pieces at a position of organizational depth \u2014 say, infielders, for instance \u2014 they could leverage some of that infield glut in offseason trades.<\/p>\n To address the question more directly, I think that all else being equal, the focus ought to be on young starting pitchers and outfielders. Next year\u2019s rotation has a strong starting point with Dylan Cease<\/a><\/strong> and Trey Yesavage<\/a><\/strong>, but it\u2019s all question marks thereafter. Kevin Gausman<\/a><\/strong>, Shane Bieber<\/a><\/strong>, Max Scherzer<\/a><\/strong> and Patrick Corbin<\/a><\/strong> are free agents. Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos<\/a><\/strong> is going to be out until midseason, at least, following Tommy John surgery. Cody Ponce<\/a><\/strong> should be back from his torn ACL to begin next season, but he only made one appearance before suffering his injury. The Jays placed a three-year, $30MM bet on his massive KBO breakout, so he\u2019ll get every opportunity to prove himself. For now, however, he remains an unknown.<\/p>\n If the season ended today, Toronto would need to add at least two established starters, and probably some veteran depth options. They\u2019ll have the final couple months of the season to take a look at some younger in-house arms \u2014 Spencer Miles<\/a><\/strong>, Chad Dallas<\/a><\/strong>, CJ Van Eyk<\/a><\/strong> and perhaps Jake Bloss<\/a><\/strong> among them. But recent trades of Khal Stephen<\/a><\/strong> and Kendry Rojas<\/a><\/strong>, coupled with ongoing injury woes for others (Bloss, Ricky Tiedemann<\/a><\/strong>) have thinned the upper-level pitching options. Bloss and Double-A righties Gage Stanifer<\/a><\/strong> and Nolan Perry<\/a><\/strong> aren\u2019t terribly far from the majors, but none are elite prospects at this point.<\/p>\n The outfield is similarly bleak. Daulton Varsho<\/a><\/strong>, George Springer<\/a><\/strong> (who\u2019s been primarily a DH anyhow) are trade candidates. Addison Barger<\/a><\/strong> has been hurt for most of the season. Nathan Lukes<\/a><\/strong> is 32 years old and could be a trade candidate in the next 11 days. Unless the Jays move a young infielder (e.g. Sean Keys<\/a><\/strong>) to the outfield, they\u2019re looking at a pretty blank canvas out there. Yohendrick Pi\u00f1ango<\/a><\/strong> will probably get a look down the stretch, but the Jays\u2019 system doesn\u2019t have much in the way of upper-level prospects. The deadline could fix that.<\/p>\nUnlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription<\/h4>\n