Toronto Blue Jays: Ideal trade deadline candidates to acquire

Toronto Blue Jays: Craig Kimbrel would bring superstar pedigree to bullpen

The Chicago Cubs are now in a position where they need to do a refresh after spending a lot of their prospect capital to keep their contending window open.

It appears that Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel are going to be on their way out and realistically both players would fill a need for the Blue Jays. Bryant would be a luxury to add while Kimbrel would fill a direct need.

With a $16 million option for 2022, the Blue Jays could see Kimbrel as an option for this year and next which would certainly play into the potential cost to acquire him. Toronto could also look to add a familiar face in Ryan Tepera to add some depth in the back end of the bullpen.

Our friends at Cubbies Crib suggest that top prospect Nate Pearson or Austin Martin would be the prospects to target from the Blue Jays. While that sounds rather lovely for Chicago who would be getting elite talent, Toronto would definitely think twice trading either top prospect.

Chicago will likely be able to get a high asking price for Kimbrel considering his dominant numbers this season. The 33-year-old has converted on 22 of 25 save opportunities this seaon with a 0.51 ERA and 0.68 WHIP to go along with 61 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.

Which pitcher should be a priority for the Blue Jays ahead of the trade deadline? Is there another position they should be targeting? Let us know in the comments below.