At the end of April, the Arizona Diamondbacks had placed themselves in a strong position to challenge for a 2025 postseason berth. However, their chances now look rather slim after their disastrous run in May.
The Toronto Blue Jays, on the other hand, had a sluggish start to the 2025 season. However, they’ve caught fire over the past month and now look like legitimate postseason contenders heading into the All-Star break.
Blue Jays Looking at D-Backs Starter for Trade Deadline Move
Last week, MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed the Diamondbacks among the teams he expects to be sellers at the trade deadline. He believes Arizona could look to move a couple of its top starting pitchers as the season slips away.
“If the Diamondbacks get bad news on Burnes, they could become surprise sellers at the trade deadline, and if that happens, they could trade Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, as both are impending free agents,” Bowden wrote.
Bowden updated his list of playoff contenders and their potential trade targets earlier this week after speaking with team executives. He highlighted starting pitching as the Blue Jays’ biggest need and identified Kelly as their preferred option.
“Kelly has been one of the most underrated, consistent starting pitchers in baseball since 2022, when he went 13-8 with a 3.37 ERA over 33 starts. In 2023, he went 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA. Last year, he battled injuries but still posted a 4.03 ERA over 13 starts. This year, he’s 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA over 14 starts, and he’s been healthy aside from some leg issues,” he wrote.
“He will be a free agent after this season, so it would be a rental for the Blue Jays. If the Diamondbacks decide to sell, they could acquire a couple of mid-level prospects in exchange and then in the offseason look to re-sign Kelly, who prefers to finish his career with Arizona.”
Merrill Kelly has to be one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball pic.twitter.com/PnrEKjCS8v
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) June 11, 2025
Kelly, 36, joined the Diamondbacks in 2019 after spending four seasons with the SK Wyverns in the KBO League. He signed a two-year, $17 million extension in 2022, and the club picked up his $7 million option for the 2025 season, per Spotrac.
A move to Toronto would make plenty of sense. The Blue Jays’ rotation has been solid but is currently thin. Max Scherzer has yet to return from the 60-day injured list, and Alek Manoah isn’t expected back until at least August.
Still, they would have to pay a fair price to the D-backs to secure the move. With Burnes being ruled out for the season and Gallen having a rough year, Kelly has been their best starter, and moving him out would mean throwing their season to the wind.
Currently, Arizona sits fourth in the National League West with a 34–34 record, trailing a wild-card spot by 4.5 games. Toronto is second in the American League East at 38–20 and holds the top AL wild-card position.