Blue Jays: 6 reasons they just got a lot more interesting

Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was the talk of Major League Baseball this week, digging deep into Toronto's prospect pool dealing for former Cy Young winner David Price, all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Mark Lowe, along with speedy outfielder Ben Revere.

Toronto (52-51) finds itself six games back of the Yankees for first in the American League East and two behind the Minnesota Twins for the second wild card spot. 

Anthopoulos has given the Jays every opportunity to break their 22-year postseason drought, and now it's up to the players. 

Here are three reasons why the Jays will play in October, and three reasons they won't: 

3 reasons Toronto will play in October

1. Dynamic Offense 

Make no mistake of it, this Toronto Blue Jays team can hit, and they can hit hard. The Jays offense leads the league in runs scored with 543, 58 more than the second-place Yankees. Not only have they been putting runs on the board at will, they've been doing it via the extra base hit. Toronto is first in slugging percentage, second in on-base percentage, first in OPS (on-base + slugging percentage), first in doubles, and third in home runs. Toronto has five players with double-digit home run totals, including two more with nine. The Jays boast an impressive lineup with almost no holes, and is even stronger with the addition of Tulowitzki. 

2. David Price

Even if Price is only here for two months before becoming a free agent, which is likely, the 10-12 starts he will likely make for the team barring injury will make a huge impact on whether the Jays are playing in October or not. Price, 29, has an 9-4 record with a 2.53 ERA in 2015, while posting 138 strikeouts. The left-hander is the best pitcher the Jays will put out on the mound since former ace Roy Halladay was traded to the Phillies, and his presence and consistency should be a deciding factor whether or not Toronto sees postseason ball. 

3. The weak American League 

If there is a year that the Jays have a window to make the AL playoffs, it's 2015. The surprising New York Yankees (57-44) are not the youngest of teams, and are being led by veterans Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, who are enjoying renaissance seasons. If there is any team that is likely to fall off, it's the Yanks. Minnesota is another team holding a surprising playoff spot, but has struggled, losing seven of their last 10. The only team that looks like a contender for the World Series in the AL are the defending pennant champs Kansas City Royals, who are 21 games above .500 (61-40)

3 reasons Toronto won't play in October 

1. Starting rotation depth

When Toronto added to their starting rotation by acquiring Price, they dealt away their depth at the position giving up left-handers Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd. The Jays don't have too many options now if an injury were to occur to Price, R.A. Dickey, Mark Buerhle, Marco Estrada, or Drew Hutchinson. Aaron Sanchez, who is currently in the bullpen, would be one option to start if a member of the rotation went down. Another option is Scott Copeland, who is currently with the Jays AAA affiliate Buffalo Bisons. Copeland struggled in his three starts with the big club this season, posting a 6.46 ERA.

2.  No guarantees trades will work

Jays fans learnt the hard way how a trade may not put a team over the top during the 2013 season. After the acquisitions of Jose Reyes, Buerhle, Josh Johnson, and Dickey, the team was the Vegas favourite to win the World Series, however, they finished at the bottom of the AL East with just 74 wins. There is no guarantee Price will dominate like he did in Detroit or Tampa, or that Tulowitzki will be a star in the AL. If the new players Toronto added this week don't mesh with the team, the team won't be playing in the fall.

3. Other teams improved 

The Jays weren't the only team to improve at the 2015 MLB Trade Deadline, as the Royals added ace Johnny Cueto to their already fantastic pitching staff, Houston, who the Jays could potentially be chasing for the top wild card spot, and a chance to host a wild card game, added outfielder Carlos Gomez and left-handed starter Scott Kazmir. Toronto, who is a much better team than their record indicates, even with the moves they have made, may have dug themselves too deep a hole to get out of to make it to October.