Atkins: Blue Jays will look to improve pitching

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins believes his biggest acquisitions leading up to next month's non-waiver trade deadline might come from within.

"The reality of it is, we have a very good team, that has slightly under performed, that has started to play better in recent weeks," Atkins told Sportsnet. "I think once we get fully healthy, Jose Bautista comes back, Tulo's now back in the fold, Brett Cecil, maybe Franklin Morales is helping as well. I can't imagine making better acquisitions than those."

After stumbling through April, the reigning AL East champs have gone 28-20 and now find themselves 2.5-games back of the division-leading Baltimore Orioles.

The Blue Jays have received excellent contributions from Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, and Roberto Osuna this season, but Atkins acknowledged there are issues in regards to the depth of the bullpen and rotation.

"I don't expect us to stay 100 percent healthy," Atkins said. "We'll have to be agile, and as I've said all along, pitching will be the area we look to improve."

Marcus Stroman and R.A. Dickey have struggled and the starting pitching will become more in need of help when Aaron Sanchez is forced to move back to the pen due to an innings limit. A relief corp that ranks in the bottom third of the league in ERA also needs to be addressed if the Blue Jays wish to make a deep playoff run.