TORONTO -- It begins. The Blue Jays on Friday afternoon traded reliever Yimi García to the Mariners for outfield prospect Jonatan Clase and catcher Jacob Sharp, Toronto¡¯s first move in what is expected to be a busy Trade Deadline.

Garc¨ªa was one of the Blue Jays¡¯ most obvious trade candidates, alongside Yusei Kikuchi, with the team sitting at 46-56 and well out of postseason contention in a season that has been a disappointment on every level. Still eager to retool on the fly and compete in 2025 -- the last year of club control for both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette -- these are the exact types of deals the Blue Jays are trying to pull off ahead of the July 30 Deadline.

TRADE DETAILS
Blue Jays get: OF Jonatan Clase, C Jacob Sharp
Mariners get: RHP Yimi Garc¨ªa

¡°It¡¯s a mix of emotions that I¡¯m feeling right now,¡± Garc¨ªa said through a club interpreter ahead of the Blue Jays' 6-5 walk-off win over the Rangers on Friday. ¡°I¡¯m very happy that I¡¯m going to the Mariners, of course. They¡¯re contending right now. I¡¯m also very sad to leave the Blue Jays organization. They¡¯re first-class. They treated me with a lot of respect and my teammates, too. From that aspect, I¡¯m very sad.¡±

Clase, the 22-year-old switch-hitting outfielder ranked as Seattle¡¯s No. 10 prospect, was one of the fastest players in the Mariners¡¯ organization and will immediately hold the same title with the Blue Jays. Clase stole 79 bases in 94 attempts in the Minor Leagues last season and has stolen 26 over 59 games in Triple-A this year.

Clase also made his MLB debut this season with the Mariners and has hit .195 with a .453 OPS at the big league level, but those numbers come across just 43 plate appearances and he¡¯s fared much better in Triple-A. There, Clase has hit .274 with a .373 on-base percentage, and if a player with Clase¡¯s physical gifts is on base, that¡¯s dangerous for the opponent.

There¡¯s some power to Clase¡¯s game ¨C he hit 20 home runs last season in the Minor Leagues and has 10 already in Triple-A this season ¨C but the Blue Jays are clearly taking a swing on the upside his speed and on-base potential bring. Clase primarily plays center field and left.

Sharp, the 22-year-old catcher also included in the deal, was a 17th-round Draft pick by the Mariners in 2023 and is batting .255 with a .774 OPS in Single-A this season.

Clase was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo following the deal, but it¡¯s possible we¡¯ll see him very soon in Toronto as the Blue Jays shift their focus to a wave of young players already at the big league level. This includes Leo Jim¨¦nez, Spencer Horwitz and Addison Barger, all of whom started the year as prospects but will be central to the Blue Jays¡¯ efforts to compete in 2025. Given that Kevin Kiermaier, who is set to retire at the end of this season, is a candidate to be dealt before Tuesday, the door could swing wide open for Clase down the stretch.

Clase¡¯s level aligns with what the Blue Jays are trying to do, too. While the Blue Jays could chase upside by dealing for an 18-year-old in Single-A, this organization needs prospects who can help in 2025 and be part of the new core in ¡®26 and beyond. Clase is positioned well for that at 22 and can now slide in alongside the young talent on Toronto¡¯s current roster.

Garc¨ªa will be missed in Toronto, though, and there¡¯s a reason the veteran right-hander was in such high demand. The widely respected 33-year-old is a throwback who shows up to Spring Training each year, rolls out of bed and throws 97 mph. Described as a ¡°gentle giant¡± by coaches and teammates, Garc¨ªa¡¯s mound presence is far from the warm personality we see around the clubhouse each day.

Being the veteran that he is and having been dealt at this time before in 2021 -- from the Marlins to the Astros -- the always cool and collected Garc¨ªa was prepared.

¡°Everything is packed already,¡± Garc¨ªa said with a smile. ¡°I was ready for it. We packed everything.¡±

This is only the beginning for the Blue Jays, whose next order of business will be maximizing the value of Kikuchi, Friday night¡¯s starter. Along with Kiermaier, veteran DH Justin Turner and catcher Danny Jansen are also candidates to be dealt on expiring deals. While the Blue Jays have not shown an eagerness to deal players like Guerrero and Bichette, they do have players like Chad Green and Isiah Kiner-Falefa who have one year of club control remaining and are expected to generate interest.

We¡¯re still a long way from seeing the full picture of the Blue Jays¡¯ Deadline moves, with the club selling in a year where it expected to be a contender, but this Garc¨ªa deal is a fine first step and captures the type of prospect the Blue Jays will be looking for in other trades.