These Yankees enemies could be included in Blue Jays trade deadline fire sale

Yankees fans would hate to see any members of the Toronto Blue Jays' current core go -- at least, not until they're afforded enough time to finish the movie. Maybe just fire John Schneider first, then figure out the rest later?

At this moment in time, it's far too early to theorize about whether the just-about-.500 Jays will pull the plug at the deadline, stuck in a division with several other just-about-.500 teams in a playoff picture where just-about-.500 keeps you in it until the end of September. But that didn't stop MLB insider Ken Rosenthal from entertaining the notion on Foul Territory Tuesday, with the Jays floundering (by their standards) in Year 2 of the "Oops, All Defense!" lineup.

In fairness, they never expected supposed cornerstones like Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to look more like also-rans than MVP candidates. But, in unfairness, they should've! Guerrero, specifically, regressed significantly from his halcyon days in 2021 to the end of the 2023 season. A further backslide wasn't out of the question.

The good news? His price will stay relatively tame in free agency, considering he's already counted the Yankees out. Slick business move! The bad news? Everything else; he's only under contract through 2025 at an escalating cost, and is currently making just under $20 million for 2024, thanks to the arbitration process. Would Toronto rather pay him $30 million next season and bank on a recovery, or include him in a midseason, headline-grabbing payroll shucking?

Blue Jays players who might be dealt in Ken Rosenthal's trade deadline sale

We didn't say they could consider offloading some of their "intriguing contract situations"! He did!

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette

Bichette, too, is a free agent after 2025, and regarding long-term progress between the Jays and their supposed core, Rosenthal noted, "I'm not even sure the Blue Jays want to go long-term with Guerrero, after what they've seen the last couple of years." Oof!

Bichette can't be this impossibly bad (65 OPS+ through his first 105 at-bats is positively Gleyber-ian from one of the league's best young shortstops), but if his regression continues, the whole roster will likely continue to sink with him. Every strikeout is another argument for Jays management avoiding a $200 million extension. No pressure!

Chad Green

Familiar Yankees right-hander Chad Green is a free agent after 2025 as well, but because of the backloaded contract the Jays gave him during his Tommy John recovery, he's set to make $10.5 million next season. With teams around the league getting increasingly skittish about paying big reliever money, this one might be a tough sell. Toronto has very few financial commitments beyond 2024, but this might be a burdensome one.

Trevor Richards

Toronto's changeup artist carries a price tag of under $2.5 million ($2.15, to be exact) into his walk year, and would be an exceptional rental. The first pieces to go, before the Blue Jays need to evaluate any kind of tough-to-swallow long-term commitment to their franchise's faces, should be bullpen arms.

Yusei Kikuchi

Yusei Kikuchi and his $10 million salary look like an extreme bargain as free agency beckons following 2024. If the Jays somehow do slide further out of it -- Rosenthal used the Mets' 48-54 record at the time of last year's David Robertson trade as a potential benchmark for what would be "unsatisfactory" north of the border -- the left-hander should be the first to go.

Justin Turner

The plug-and-play bat has been arguably the Jays' best offensive player so far in 2024, which is both a testament to Turner's tenacity and not at all part of Toronto's plan. Any team would be lucky to have him (and a portion of his $13 million 2024 salary) if the Jays pull the plug.

Unfortunately, the Yankees won't be able to get their hands on any of these useful players, but they will be able to smirk if things go awry. That's got to be worth something.