The Toronto Blue Jays entered the all-star break with their best record (51-40) since 1992, the year they won their first World Series.

Fans are hoping the Jays can match last July and add the players to win a third championship. But before they do that, management first has to answer some crucial questions about the existing roster:

What do you do with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion?

Does Aaron Sanchez move to the bullpen?

Do you add pitching help, and if so, starting or relief?

CBCSports.ca offers some perspective on those questions before examining who the Jays can pursue:

Decisions on Bautista and Encarnacion

Before we explore whether or not the Jays should entertain offers for their two impending free-agent superstars it's important to note two things. First, management has given no indication at all that either is available. Second, both players have 10/5 rights (at least 10 seasons in the league, and at least the last five with the same team) giving them full veto power over any trade.

Encarnacion leads the league in RBI with 80 and has been the driving force behind the Jays resurgence after a slow start. There's currently no dialogue between the team and player on contract negotiations, with Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com reporting that Encarnacion's agent made it clear they wouldn't discuss a contract in-season. Still, the chances he moves are essentially zero. Toronto seems prepared to let him walk in the off-season if that's what it comes to.

Bautista is most likely staying put as well, as he has veto rights and trading the face of your franchise in the midst of a playoff run doesn't make much sense. Still, there is a discussion to be had regarding whether Toronto should consider it.

Jose Bautista has hit .230 this year with a .360 OBP, 12 HRs and 41 RBI in 65 games. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

His reported contract demands in the off-season were concerning, and he's a 35-year-old oft-injured player – he's been out since June 17 with a toe injury – who has been replaced admirably in the lineup by Ezequiel Carrera. Since then, the Jays have gone 13-9, and haven't skipped a beat on offence.

Still, the chances he moves are astronomically low. Bautista would most likely only waive his 10/5 rights to go to a contender, and Toronto would likely balk at trading him to a team the Jays could conceivably meet in the post-season. The most likely scenario is that Jays management has already determined neither Encarnacion nor Bautista will be going anywhere, and they'll take their chances signing them in the off-season.

Even if they do walk, Toronto won't be left empty-handed. As long as the Blue Jays offer each player a one-year qualifying offer — something Toronto will do regardless of whether they sign them to long-term deals or not — they will receive a first-round pick as compensation for losing them.

Aaron Sanchez the key

Aaron Sanchez has posted a 9-1 record with a 2.97 ERA and 1.19 WHIP this season. (Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)

Last month it was announced that Sanchez would inevitably move back to the bullpen because of an in-house innings limit, creating a need for a starting pitcher. But since then, Sanchez produced a couple dominant starts, fortifying himself as the Jays best starter all while being named an all-star.

He's still expected to go back to the bullpen eventually, but that decision may hold the key to Toronto's deadline plans.

If he does move into a late-inning role, the bullpen would seemingly become a strength, and starting pitching would become Toronto's biggest need. If the Blue Jays decide keeping Sanchez in the rotation is their best course of action, relief pitching would take over as the biggest problem area.

But the deadline decisions may not be predicated on the Sanchez decision. In fact, it may be the other way around.

Toronto could examine the market, and may find that starting pitching is more readily available than relief pitching, or vice versa. The Sanchez decision then could come down to whether adding a starter or a reliever makes more sense, depending on the price.

Possible trade targets

Unlike last year, Toronto doesn't have a cupboard full of top prospects to deal away for stars. They gave away a lot of young talent to acquire David Price and Troy Tulowitzki, and indications are that president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins aren't willing to deplete the farm system further by getting rid of the team's best prospects.

Still, there are plenty of players available who would add depth to an already strong roster, and could even be factors beyond this season.

Rich Hill, SP, Oakland Athletics: Toronto has reportedly been scouting the starting pitcher market and one of the players they've been heavily connected to is Hill. The Athletics signed the 36-year-old to a one-year, $6 million deal in the off-season, and he's been one of the best pitchers since, posting a 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 13 starts. His contract status and age means he's very likely to be moved, and he would be a reliable rental for a contending team.

Sonny Gray, SP, Oakland Athletics: Gray would cost a lot more than Hill because of his age (26) and contract status (team control through 2019), but the possible return value could be huge. Toronto's prospect pool isn't close to being what it was last year so finding a deal that works may not be achievable, but they have scouted Gray, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle noted.

Ervin Santana, SP, Minnesota Twins: The Twins have been one of the worst teams this season, so trading an aging, mid-rotation starter would make sense. Santana hasn't been great, posting a 4.06 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 16 starts, so he shouldn't cost too much in prospects. The Jays have apparently been scouting him, but he might not be a good fit. He's 33 and has two years left on a contract worth $27 million, with a club option for 2019.

Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds: Bruce was nearly a Blue Jay before the season started until the trade fell apart, keeping Michael Saunders in Toronto. That worked out great for the Blue Jays, but that doesn't mean Bruce isn't still an option. A Bruce addition could move Bautista into the DH role more often, meaning less of Justin Smoak and more of Encarnacion playing first base, where he's performed admirably. It could also make the idea of letting Bautista and/or Encarnacion walk easier to swallow, since he has a $13-million club option for 2017.

Josh Reddick, OF, Oakland Athletics: Reddick would fill the same need as Bruce, adding left-handed power and shifting into right, giving Bautista a break in the field. Slusser notes that the Jays have expressed interest in the 29-year-old, along with other clubs. Reddick probably wouldn't cost as much as Bruce, as he's a UFA at the end of the season. He's hit .295 with five HRS and 20 RBI over 53 games.

Relief pitchers: Pinpointing specific players is tough because there are usually so many available, and almost every contending team is looking to add to their bullpen. But we can at least examine what type of relief pitchers Toronto may target. The big three in New York — Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman — can probably be ruled out because of the cost and the fact that the Yankees play in the same division. Controllable players like the Brewers' Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith, and the Braves' Arodys Vizcaino would cost slightly more than a rental, but would also provide help beyond this year. Toronto could also target veterans like the Athletics' Ryan Madson and the Diamondbacks' Daniel Hudson, who wouldn't cost as much.