Blue Jays' Gibbons: 'I expect the core will stay together'

Maybe the Toronto Blue Jays stand pat at the trade deadline after all.

Manager John Gibbons told MLB Network Radio on Friday that he doesn't anticipate many changes on July 31.

"Whether somebody throws a huge offer at us that you can't resist, who knows," Gibbons said. "But, I expect the core will stay together."

The Blue Jays enter Friday with a 44-51 record with playoff hopes diminishing by the day. Naturally, players from Marco Estrada to Jose Bautista and more have had their names pop up in trade rumors.

Gibbons is optimistic that the Blue Jays can finish the season well, and otherwise look toward regrouping with a familiar squad to make a deep run in 2018.