TORONTO — After an underwhelming start to the second half, the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves on the fringes of the American League playoff race, 4.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.

According to FanGraphs, their odds of reaching the playoffs are 14 per cent, so there’s still a chance they’re traditional buyers ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. A well-timed win streak may be required, but it’s still possible. With that in mind, the Blue Jays are sure to monitor the markets for starting pitching, relievers and right-handed hitting outfielders just in case.

But buying is far from the only option on the table at this point. They could sell, something Ross Atkins has done on four previous occasions since becoming GM after the 2015 season. It’s an option we’ll be sure to explore here in the coming days if the losses keep piling up, but for now let’s explore the murky middle and look more closely at the types of trades the Blue Jays might make if their playoff positioning remains somewhat similar when it’s decision time in early August.

Looking beyond the traditional buyer-seller extremes, here are four possible approaches:

Just because there’s a trade deadline doesn’t mean you have to make trades. The Blue Jays could hold, trusting their players to rebound without dipping into their farm system for help.

Past Blue Jays examples: None.

Advantages: The core........

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