After getting back to the World Series for the first time more than 30 years in 2025 - and nearly winning it - the 2026 season was supposed to be a coronation for the Toronto Blue Jays.

After falling in Game 7 last season, the Jays went out and signed Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers and Kazuma Okamoto in an active offseason that was designed to get them over the hump.

Instead, the Baseball Gods have had other plans, derailing the Jays season with injuries and underperformance. And as a result, the direction of the franchise at the trade deadline has become painfully clear: They have to sell.

And it's not just me saying it, noted MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal said on Tuesday that he thinks the Jays are trending toward selling. 

But in reality, it can't just be trending: The Jays just have to rip the band-aid off and re-group for the future.

The Blue Jays enter play on Tuesday at 46-54 and 11.5 games back in the American League East. They are 5.5 games back of the third and final wild card spot, and they'd have to jump five teams to even get there.

It's an incredibly disappointing outcome for a season that had so much promise, but it's where the Jays are at.

For starters, Toronto should move rotation leader Kevin Gausman, who is a free agent at the end of the season. Though he's just 4-8 with a 4.33 ERA, he comes with swing-and-miss stuff and a big game pedigree.

Starting pitching is going to be coveted by multiple teams and Gausman should be relatively affordable, given that he'll have the pro-rated version of $22 million remaining on his salary.

Beyond him, starting pitcher Shane Bieber, coming off an excellent start against the Chicago White Sox, is also a free agent.

While he's been injured much of the year and has an ERA of more than 10, Max Scherzer should also be offered up, if any takers are out there.

George Springer, signed to a six-year deal before the 2021 season, is in the final year of his contract, and he comes with one of the best playoff resumes in history. Daulton Varsho is an excellent outfielder who has some power and he could be on the move too.

Finally, if the Blue Jays want to go beyond the rental players, Jeff Hoffman has just one year remaining on his deal, and with high-leverage relievers always necessary for contending teams, Hoffman could likely net a nice return.

Remember to join our BLUE JAYS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Blue Jays fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!