Five prospects who could help Jays in the second half

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TORONTO — With the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaching, the Toronto Blue Jays are shopping for veteran help in essentially all areas of the roster.

That’s what legitimate contenders do this time of year, as no stone should be left unturned when it comes to improving, whether that’s incrementally or otherwise.

There's really no secret what executive vice-president of baseball operations/GM Ross Atkins is shopping for, as outlined here.

But regardless of what the Jays do between now and next Tuesday when they arrive in Tampa for a key divisional series with the Rays, they’re also positioning the farm system to provide some help.

The real fixes for this roster — bullpen help, a rotation piece and some left-handed lineup balance — will come via trade, but there are some names bubbling up in the system who could provide some all-important layers of depth over the final two months.

Here are five players to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

YOSVER ZULUETA

Always seen as a potential fast-mover given his age (24) and his experience in Cuba, Zulueta’s season has been exactly what many were hoping for when he was buzzing back in 2021 spring training with a high-90s heater.

A torn ACL quickly ended that last year for the electric right-hander, but it hasn’t set him back much in 2022.

Across three levels in his stateside debut this year, Zulueta has pitched well out of the rotation, posting a 3.70 ERA across 41.1 frames.

More importantly, he’s shown scintillating stuff at times, allowing just 31 hits and striking out 63 batters with a fastball that’s been scraping triple digits, a pair of breaking balls and a useable changeup at times.

On Sunday, Zulueta made his first relief appearance of the season for Double-A