Blue Jays primed for impact outfield trade, per insider

The Toronto Blue Jays are proving they like to be one step ahead of the curve, which may allow us to predict their next big move. Last offseason, it was trading for Andrés Giménez, who will become the new shortstop now that Bo Bichette has joined the New York Mets. This year, they added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to a starting pitching group that will lose Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber to free agency next winter. According to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, this approach from the Blue Jays is quite intentional -- and likely signals that the club will look to add to its outfield this season. Per Matheson, the trade market stands out as the most obvious pathway to an upgrade, especially assuming the Blue Jays don't win a bidding war for free agent Cody Bellinger. "Daulton Varsho is a free agent after the upcoming season and so is George Springer, who will spend most of his time at DH," wrote Matheson. "Sure, Anthony Santander is under club control for four more years, but he likely eases into many of the DH reps vacated by Springer if all goes well. "The Blue Jays will have Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes and Joey Loperfido under control and Myles Straw has a team option, but there’s still so much room to add a long-term starter here. ...This likely needs to come externally. The outfield trade market makes a lot of sense for this organization." Cleveland Guardians star Steven Kwan, a rumored target for Toronto at the trade deadline, would perfectly fit the club's lineup needs. But he's only under team control for one more year than Varsho and Springer, so he might not be the Blue Jays' dream target. The fit is even harder to find elsewhere, which means one will likely emerge during the season, if it's out there. The St. Louis Cardinals are in a trading mood, but Lars Nootbaar is in the same contract situation as Kwan. The Boston Red Sox are loaded with controllable outfielders, but it's unlikely they'd want to ship one to their division rivals. If the Blue Jays don't sign Bellinger, which appears to be at best a significant long shot, get ready to hear about plenty of new trade fits as the year progresses.