Baseball Trade Deadline: Should the Blue Jays Be Buyers or Sellers?

Sitting exactly at .500 (43-43) at the All-Star break would leave most teams pondering making a move or two to go after a division title, or at least one of the wild-card places in the new expanded 10-team playoffs.

For the Toronto Blue Jays, the decision may not be that easy. Their .500 record has them tied for fourth with the Boston Red Sox in the ultra-competitive AL East, 9.5 games behind the New York Yankees.

The Jays are only 2.5 games out of a wild-card berth, but have several teams in the race with them. Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Detroit, Oakland and Boston all sit between Toronto and the two current wild-card teams, the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles.

Factor in the starting pitching situation, which has three hurlers, Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison and Brandon Morrow, currently on the disabled list along with their closer, Sergio Santos; it seems like sell might be the right option.

However, the rumor mill has the Blue Jays in the market to add some players. MLB Daily Dish has the Blue Jays looking at Justin Upton of the Diamondbacks in a trade that involves hot shortstop prospect Adeiny Hechavarria, who is currently hitting .317 with 58 runs batted in at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports tweeted that the Blue Jays were looking at starting pitching help to bolster their ranks due to all the injuries. The Jays were reportedly looking at Matt Garza and Wandy Rodriguez. Troy Renck of the Denver Post speculated that a deal for Rockies pitcher Jeremy Guthrie was in the works.

If the Blue Jays have a change of heart and elect to be sellers instead of buyers, they have a number of players that are attractive short-term options for contending teams. Here are five players that could make their way out of Toronto by the trade deadline (contract details in parentheses, according to Baseball Prospectus). 

1) Edwin Encarnacion, DH/3B (one year/$3.5M (2012) club option)

The Blue Jays' gamble to pick up Encarnacion's club option after last season has certainly paid off. Encarnacion is on pace for a career season, hitting .295 with 23 home runs and 58 runs batted in at the All-Star break.

The free-agent to be will certainly command a much better contract in the offseason, and staying within a reasonable budget is usually a concern for the Blue Jays. The chance to sell high at the deadline might be too much to resist.

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Update: Thursday, the Blue Jays decided to reward Encarnacion by giving him a three-year extension worth $27 million that also includes a club option for $10 million in 2016.

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2) Rajai Davis, OF (two years/$5.75M (2011-12), plus 2013 club option)

Does your favorite team have a need for speed? Davis is currently second in the American League with 23 stolen bases. He won't bring a lot of power (only four home runs and a .390 slugging percentage), but Davis would fit quite well as a fourth outfielder/platoon starter on a contending club. The Blue Jays can easily give him up with highly regarded outfield prospects Anthony Gose and Moises Sierra doing quite well in Las Vegas.

3) Yunel Escobar, SS (two years/$10M (2012-13), plus 2014-15 club options)

With Hechavarria waiting in the wings, Escobar becomes easily expendable. Escobar isn't having the greatest season, hitting only .254, but the career .285 hitter could certainly help a team that needs some middle infield help. His contract isn't that bad and will have one year remaining after this year, with two years of club options should Escobar pick up his production.

4) Darren Oliver, RP (one year/$4.5M (2012), plus 2013 club option)

Proof that left-handed relievers can pitch forever, Darren Oliver has some trade value for a team looking for an extra left-handed arm in the bullpen. The 41-year-old pitcher has pitched quite well in his short time for the Blue Jays, going 2-2 with a 1.42 earned run average and 0.92 WHIP in over 31 innings of work. The relatively cheap $3 million club option for 2013 provides some extra value.

5) Jason Frasor, RP (one year/$3.75M (2012) club option)

The long-time Blue Jays servant is a model of solid, not spectacular, consistency out of the bullpen. Frasor has a 3.74 ERA in 39 appearances for the Blue Jays this season, which is exactly his career ERA at the moment. He can close if needed, having 36 career saves. But his likely role with a contending team would be a bridge reliever to get to the setup man and closer.

6) Kelly Johnson, 2B (one year/$6.375M (2012))

Although the Blue Jays may not exactly have an heir apparent at second base to replace Johnson, the Blue Jays might be tempted to get some value out of the would-be free-agent should an offer come along. Johnson has struggled average-wise this season, hitting only .246, but does bring decent pop at the plate, with 10 home runs and 37 runs batted in.