While the Blue Jays made plenty of noise off the field on Trade Deadline day, Chase Anderson was dealing, showing just how valuable more healthy returns will be in September as Toronto chases its first playoff appearance since 2016.

Anderson recorded his first six outs via strikeout and retired the final 12 batters he faced, finishing with five innings of one-run ball on 84 pitches. The veteran right-hander was lifted early with the top of Baltimore’s lineup coming back around a third time, but it was easily the best he’s looked all season. Teoscar Hernández also thrilled with a throw to the plate to nab O's automatic runner Mason Williams, complete a double play and preserve the tie in the 10th inning. The Blue Jays eventually fell, 4-3, in 11 frames, ending with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. thrown out at the plate for the final out, but Toronto still took three of four from the Orioles and headed to Miami with momentum in the American League playoff race.

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The Blue Jays were one of the most aggressive buyers in baseball on Monday, acquiring left-hander Robbie Ray from the D-backs, infielder Jonathan Villar from the Marlins and right-hander Ross Stripling from the Dodgers. After adding first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach and right-hander Taijuan Walker in separate deals with the Mariners last week, Toronto leaves this Deadline with all of its boxes checked. Add these names to a young lineup that’s already capable of taking over games, and the Blue Jays are a dangerous contender. These won’t be their only upgrades, though.

Each season, a fan base groans when it’s told that players returning from injuries will be “just like Trade Deadline additions,” but that’s much easier to stomach for Blue Jays fans after real additions were made. The group of players working their way back from the injured list could have a major impact, too, on nearly every corner of this roster.

It all starts with Bo Bichette, whose return from a right knee sprain will make the acquisition of Villar even more valuable. Villar can cover shortstop with Bichette on the IL, shifting Santiago Espinal into a potential utility role, but he could factor in at third base once Bichette returns. Villar is also experienced at second base, which could come in handy on days that the Blue Jays prefer their lineup with Cavan Biggio in the outfield.

“I feel like he has the ability to play shortstop on a very regular basis,” said Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins after the Deadline. “I feel like he has the ability to play in the outfield, can play centre field, can bounce around all of the infield positions. The versatility was very attractive, the switch-hit ability was attractive, the ability to steal a base is very attractive. He’s a very exciting piece to think about adding to the current group, and really exciting to think about how he complements Bo Bichette when he’s healthy, as well.”

Ken Giles will give a boost to the bullpen soon, too, and he is scheduled to throw a live batting-practice session on Tuesday. The return of a healthy Jordan Romano from a right middle finger sprain will be just as valuable, but getting Giles back in the ninth inning will allow the Blue Jays to shift all other relievers down one rung, giving them a deeper and more complete bullpen.

Nate Pearson might be the biggest variable of all. The club’s No. 1 prospect is working back from right elbow tightness and is only playing catch at this point, but he could fill a variety of roles if he’s able to return. The Blue Jays would love to get him back as a starter, but the realities of the shortened season and playoff race could see him return in a hybrid, multi-inning role, something Anthony Kay and Thomas Hatch have done very well with in 2020. Matt Shoemaker is working back from his shoulder inflammation, too, though his timeline is not yet clear.

With each of these potential returns alongside the additions of Walker, Ray, Villar and Vogelbach, it’s easy to see how this Blue Jays roster can stretch itself to become deeper.

At this point, the Blue Jays are still deciding how they’ll use Ray and Stripling, both of whom could pitch in a traditional starting role or find themselves in a hybrid role. So many of these puzzle pieces depend on what happens around them, though, which can be viewed through a positive lens as Toronto can now ride the hot hand with a group that’s more talented than it was 24 hours ago.

Up next
The Blue Jays enter September with a two-game series in Miami at Marlins Park with first pitch on Tuesday scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. You can catch the action live on MLB.TV. Toronto comes out of the Trade Deadline with a playoff spot in hand and plenty of momentum after a series win over the Orioles, so the club will be looking to gain some more ground on the AL teams ahead of it before entering a tough stretch in September, when it'll face the Yankees 10 times in 18 days.