OverDrive - Law on the Blue Jays' trade deadline grade, Bieber's role in Toronto and the AL East moves

Episode Date: July 31, 2025

The Athletic Senior Baseball Writer Keith Law joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines from the MLB trade deadline, the Blue Jays' significant moves from the deadline, Toronto acquiring Ty France and Louis Varland, the addition of Shane Bieber to the team, the shape of the AL East, the Yankees' ceiling in the division and more.

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the more you save. Switch to Canada's fastest 5G plus network today. For details and more great offers, visit a Bell store or bell.ca slash promotions. Bell, back to school just got better. Here is a senior writer for the athletic Keith Law joining us. How are you doing, Keith? Good. How are you?

We're doing very well. I guess this is one we're going to throw at you. I don't know if you're aware of this deal yet, but Varlane and France coming over from the Twins and Alan Rodin and Kendris Roja going the other way to Minnesota. What do you make of that move for the Blue Jays? It's pretty steep price to pay. No, I was not aware of that. Actually, I've been busy trying to catch up with some of the deal for that thing.

I guess a little bit before that one came down the pipe. Yeah, I'm surprised they gave up on the road in that quickly. They were pretty high on them last off season, grow-off. I mean, obviously, because there's a high risk by the nature. But we haven't seen a lot of really strong prospects in terms. We've seen a lot of minor leaders made, but not a lot of good prospects. So there are two pretty good prospects to give up for role players. Well, in terms of the bigger picture, you know, I guess the big move,

the move of substance today was them acquiring Shane Bieber, coming off Tommy John, but we're well aware of his resume and his stuff when he's healthy. What do you make of that approach by Ross Atkinson company going out and getting Shane Beaver? You know, I wonder

to what extent. Obviously, it's a long time, right? But there's comforting dealing with Cleveland, right? It's a really a thing for this front office. You know, it's a big bet on Bieber being what he once was. And I just don't think we know. I think it's too soon.

know at this point. He's looked fine in his rehab outings. He will say his fastball as he planes right as well as it used to. Spider's been pretty good. Obviously, he's, you know, it's their rehab outings. He's not necessarily trying to get every hit or out. He's working on very limited bridge found, so it is not the ideal way to judge or to scout a player.

And I do think there's something to be taken from the fact that that slider is an outfit to them where, you know, just the fact that a lot of guys he'll tell you after they have elbow surgery, the breaking stuff, just throwing the braking stuff doesn't feel the same and they don't come in these guys. There's plenty of examples of the guys that had really good curveballs. They go under the knife. They come out and the curveball's not the same.

The fact that the slider and his kind of has some downward curveball-like breakthrough is still there is a positive? I would just, you know, I heard you guys say maybe he's a potential ace for them. I really would come to breaks on that because he is just coming back him and dude and have a check pack. He's going to be on a limited workload.

You hope that's eventually what he returns to. But in the short term, I'm not expecting the limit as much. So in this deal that just happened, Keith, and the Jays acquire the centerpiece of the deal is Louis Varland, who has electric stuff out of the bullpen, throws, you know, 99 plus. What do you make of his potential to fill out the Blue Jay's bullpen? He was a good late-game release option. The twins messed around forever, wasted a lot of time trying to make him a startle.

There's no chance we could do that. He's a right-handed pitcher who's terrible trouble, at least when he was a starter, just getting lefties out, keeping him on the bottom, just generally had a problem keeping guys in the ballpark that has been better since he moved to the bullpen. I think that he can be kind of be a day-high legend. I don't really care as much about you to close as he's a setup man. If you're someone you can bring in, in a tight game in the later innings,

yeah, it doesn't matter what in the studio is. And one thing I do like about it, and you mention the power stuff, it's absolutely true. But you look, you don't think straight out as many guys. You do expect for a guy throwing 100? The thing that impresses me, he doesn't walk that. We have just thrifted into this era where we want pitch shapes, we want guys with electric stuff.

And I mean, I like those guys, too. They miss bats, and obviously it's a hitter to think, contract, nothing really bad can happen. But I also appreciate the fact there's a place for a guy in the later innings who doesn't walk anyone who avoids the free passes. And if you ask a lot of managers, so probably that's the thing they want the most later in the game. So I do appreciate that he does. I think he helps. I, you know, my initial reaction was they're paying a lot in terms of prospects for a guy who is going to throw 20 innings for them the rest of the suit. When the dust settles and all the deals finally trickle out,

How does the landscape of the AL East change based on today's moves for the Yankees, the Jays, and the Red Sox? Yeah, this is funny. My editor was joking, did the Yankees have any players before today? I mean, they just keep acquiring guys. And they managed to do it without giving up all over the way. They didn't give up anybody. I don't think they have anybody as good as Rojas or Robes, actually, just kind of mentally trying to run through all the players the Yankees traded away. I mean, the Yankees did a good job.

They marketed their guys, and I think they cashed in on them. Of course, the Yankees is going to matter to the most is what they got out of Iron Judge this year. If nothing the Yankees did today is going to be as important as does Aaron Judge return

sooner rather than later and he's seen 100% when he comes back. I know there were rumors of the Red Sox possibly adding another starting picture later today. I don't know if any of that

actually happened at the deadline so waiting to see a stuff Turcles through. I would say that these Pue Js should feel comfortable about their ability to stay ahead of the Red Sox the rest of the way. Obviously, the Orioles are getting worse,

which can only help you in terms of the wild card race and more than you play the Orioles for the rest of the season. J. Sam should be glad their team did something. I feel like the complaint I heard from Ruggians fans since the Atkins-Sapiro group took over was that they don't do enough, and they did, and that they hugged their prospects too much. Well, they didn't.

This year, they traded away, they traded Calcena, they traded Rogan, they traded Rojas. They may have traded as much prospect guess with anyone, looks at the Padres, but they don't count. That's just what they do every year. So, you know, if you're a little bit of a fan, your complaint for years has been there, they're not aggressive enough. Well, they certainly work it out.

Yeah, well, and if you include Sir Anthony Dominguez, who they picked up a couple of days ago, that appears to be their trade deadline. Dominguez, Bieber, Varlane, France, and they got a four-game lead on the Yankees, five on the Red Sox. Do you think what they have in the way they're playing is enough for you?

you to believe that they're going to end up winning the AL East this year? I would still pick the Yankees, again, with the caveat that we don't know what judge is going to give them. He's obligated to play great. I think they've played kind of above expectations for the last few months or so. Reinforcing that roster is absolutely the right approach. You're in first place. You are certainly in full positions to get a playoff spot.

I think we've got to approach to trade that in that way. It's like they identified their biggest area of need. Maybe it's a bullpen more than anything else. game with release. If they get a good start, even abbreviated stars or Shane Bieber, that's probably going to end up being the most significant acquisition that they made. I would say overall,

I'm just really glad to see that they are going to it and that they're not hugging your prospect, even though, like they said, individually I think so some of those traits might have been expensive on the prospect side. I would rather see teams in playoff position, go for it, versus a standing pack.

How do you make sense of what they're doing down in San Diego, So, Keith, with A.J. Preller, just making all these deals and just moving out all these prospects again and again. Is there any sort of method to the madness that you can make out? No, I think there is the most win-nale team in baseball. And part of me respect, even though they gave up later degrees in a trade. Their number-run prospects in trade earlier today, who's the best prospect by far to get traded at the deadline. I don't think they got anywhere near enough in return for it. They got Mason Miller, who's a believer in the believer.

don't throw that much for you, and they're volatile, and they'll have that injury with. To that said, Tyler is very clearly saying, no, I want to win now. I like collecting all these prospects. We can go get more. So we don't have a lot of chances left with this major league four to get back to the playoffs. They were really close to the World Series last year. They were very much looking to get a couple times. We can go come close and fall on short.

So I respect the philosophy that says prospects are here for us to, trade, try to make the big league roster better. I think a quarter of their entire draft class from last year is already gone, just as today's trade. That's five of the 20 are out of the organization. Crazy. There's still deals trickling in. It's going to be an active night, active stretch run.

You'll be all over like always. Thank you, Keith. Appreciate it. Yep, my pleasure. Keith Law from the Athletic. Unmistakably Canadian. It's the music. Music that raised you.

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