Here we are in late June and nobody really knows what to do with the Toronto Blue Jays. Not the fans. Not the oddsmakers. Apparently not even the front office.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal put it bluntly on Foul Territory this week: Toronto is an “utter mystery.” And that’s not the kind of mystery teams want to be heading into a trade deadline where every move is magnified.
Rosenthal pointed to a starting rotation that was supposed to be this team’s strength. Remember spring training? The Blue Jays rolled in with seven, maybe eight starting pitchers. Everyone figured that depth would carry them through the summer. Instead, Cody Ponce got hurt. Shane Bieber didn’t come back fast enough — and even now that he’s back, it’s not like he’s dominant. Max Scherzer hasn’t looked like Max Scherzer. Eric Lauer got traded. The rotation ERA currently ranks 25th in baseball. That’s not a blip. That’s a problem.
So yeah, they need arms. Starting pitching is the priority. But it’s not the only hole.
Batting is a bigger concern than it should be
Toronto’s lineup has underperformed in a way nobody saw coming. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the biggest letdown. A guy who once looked like a perennial MVP candidate is having a season that leaves you squinting at the stat sheet. The bats around him haven’t picked up the slack either.
And here’s the thing that makes all of this so confusing. This team went to Game 7 of the World Series last year. Took the Dodgers to extra innings. They were one swing away from a championship. Then they came back this season and just … flatlined. It’s been three months of this funk. Rosenthal called it “curious.” That’s putting it politely.
He’s not sure what Toronto will do. But given the payroll and the expectations, they’re probably not tearing things down. The front office has invested too much to punt. They’ll try to buy. The question is whether there’s a pitcher or a bat out there who can actually turn this thing around.
The Blue Jays are 39-45 right now, sitting third in the AL East. That’s not a disaster but it’s not a playoff spot either. And the clock is ticking.
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