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Blue Jays brought in a bat while they are connected to another one in a trade.

The Toronto Blue Jays are on a mission to get back to the World Series. To do that, they will need all hands on deck. This means having an active roster (that’s healthy) with solid depth to ensure that they have all the ammunition they need for another postseason run. That is one reason why the Blue Jays’ news involving Rhylan Thomas may be more important than most realize.

The Blue Jays have solid depth at several positions. Their starting rotation, anchored by Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, and Trey Yesavage, will soon be the envy of the league. Mix that in with the great performances they’ve received from Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers, and their pitching staff doesn’t have major concerns at this time.

However, it doesn’t hurt to add more players at the fielding positions. That is what makes their latest addition so intriguing.

Here is what you need to know about Thomas, why he was available, and the recent trade rumblings and speculation surrounding the Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays Sign Rhylan Thomas

Before the Blue Jays put Max Scherzer on the IL and called up Chad Dallas, they made another move.

On June 17th, they announced the signing of Thomas to a minor-league contract. The transaction had taken place on June 15, 2026.

Thomas is a 26-year-old outfielder who bats and throws left-handed. He brings 403 games of minor league experience to go along with three MLB games. While it’s not a big sample size for the big leagues, the work he has done in the minors has been significantly impressive.

Rhylan Thomas Scouting Report

Thomas started the beginning of this season with the Seattle Mariners. Baseball America had him listed as the 24th-best prospect in the Mariners system. This was their scouting report on him.

“If a pitch lands in the strike zone, there’s a strong chance Thomas isn’t going to miss,” the report begins. “Thomas posted elite in-zone contact rates in 2025 and struck out just 5.2% of the time in Triple-A. Thomas doesn’t have much power, and his slower bat speed is geared toward a shorter swing and contact-driven approach to spray the ball over the field and is susceptible to expanding the zone in pursuit of more contact, often trying to poke an outside ball for weak contact.”

“He is an above-average runner who stole 35 bases, but he was also caught 11 times. He’s an average outfield defender at all three spots.”

In addition to those 35 stolen bases, Thomas connected for a whopping 178 hits. He led the PCL in hits, was fourth in stolen bases, and third in batting average.

Yes, the PCL is not the MLB. However, the fact that he has achieved this in AAA bodes well for the organization.

Why Was Rhylan Thomas Available?

The simple answer was that the Houston Astros needed to create space on their roster for the newly signed LeMonte Wade Jr. However, that was not the only factor in that decision.

Thomas had a great 2025 season (as outlined above), yet he has not reached that same level so far this season.

In 41 games during the 2026 season, he has 42 hits, three doubles, 12 RBIs, and six stolen bases. However, his overall performance has been slumping, resulting in a .253 batting average.

Blue Jays News: Trade Rumblings Getting Louder

Recently, the Blue Jays have been identified as potential trade partners for two different players.

For starters, Bleacher Report has identified the Blue Jays as the best landing spot for Rafael Devers. He is a first baseman and designated hitter for the San Francisco Giants.

However, Jeff Passan of ESPN has listed the Blue Jays as contenders for multiple players who could push the needle for the team.

That list includes, but is not limited to, Tarik Skubal, Jeremy Pena, Joe Ryan, CJ Abrams, and Aroldis Chapman.

With the trade deadline arriving on August 3rd, it’s only a matter of time before the rumblings pick up and deals begin being made.