Time For The Toronto Blue Jays To Blow It Up

Il est temps de faire exploser Toronto !

The Blue Jays need to trade anything that has value on their roster including Vlad Jr. and Bo Bichette. This team is in last place in the American League East. Toronto is also ranked near the bottom of the American League for pitching and hitting. This team isn’t anywhere close to ending their championship drought. The cocky Blue Jays and their fan base seemed to have been humbled this season. Given where their farm system ranks, this team desperately needs to reload. It’s time for the Blue Jays to accept reality and blow up their team at the trade deadline.

This Season Has Been A Disaster

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Despite having stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Kevin Gausman, the Jays have been a disaster this season. They are currently in last place in the AL East and are 9.5 games out of a wild card spot. Offensively, Toronto is ranked ninth in the American League, and they are only averaging 4.02 runs per game. The only teams averaging fewer runs are the Angels, White Sox, Athletics, Rays, and Mariners. It hasn’t helped that Bo Bichette is having a bad year, George Springer is an $150 million mistake, Alejandro Kirk hasn’t been the same since his all-star year, and the trade for Daulton Varsho isn’t panning out.

The Pitching Staff Has Regressed Badly

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Last season, the Blue Jays had the best pitching staff in baseball. This season, it has regressed to near the bottom of the American League. As a staff, the Toronto Blue Jays have an ERA of 4.45. The only teams that have given up more earned runs are the Athletics, White Sox, and Angles. Jose Berrios has given up 21 homers, Yusei Kikuchi has cooled off since his hot start, Kevin Gausman is having the worst year of his career since 2019, Alek Manoah’s fall-off has continued, and international signee Yariel Rodriguez has been hurt for most of the year. Toronto’s bullpen also has been having an awful season. Outside of the currently injured Yimi Garcia and Chad Green, nobody has been reliable. Closer Jordan Romano is having the worst year of his career.

This Core Never Lived Up To The Hype

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Despite the hype that surrounded this team, the Blue Jays current core never led them to an AL East title. In all their playoff appearances, Toronto has made it as a wild card team. Despite making the postseason in three of the past four seasons, the Blue Jays never won a playoff game. When a team has a core for five years or longer and hasn’t made it to a championship, changes must be made.

The Farm Needs Replenishing

The Blue Jays farm system is currently ranked 24^th in all baseball. They only have two prospects ranked inside the top 100. One of them, Orelvis Martinez, was suspended for 80 games due to a PED violation. Outside of Martinez and pitching prospect Rickey Tiedemann, there isn’t a lot turning heads in the minors. The Blue Jays should focus on replenishing their farm system at the trade deadline.

Toronto Has Plenty Of Useful Players They Can Move

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Given all of Toronto’s issues this season, General Manager Ross Atkins shouldn’t even consider being a buyer at the deadline. Making matters worse, Toronto operated with a team-record $221,862,600 payroll. After this season, their corporate owner Rogers Communications will probably be looking to shed some money. Justin Turner, Yimi Garcia, Yusei Kikuchi, Danny Jansen, and Trevor Richards are all going to be free agents after the season. All five of those players could be useful for teams in contention. Toronto should try to get as much as they can for Turner, Garcia, Kikuchi, Jansen, and Richards at the trade deadline.

Toronto Should Trade Vlad Jr. and Bo Bichette Now

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The trickier decision that Toronto needs to make is what to do with Bo Bichette and Vlad Jr. So far, the front office has said publicly that the two stars are available. While they aren’t free agents until 2026, Toronto should consider trading them. The team won’t be much better with them on the roster for the rest of this season and 2025. Given that the team currently has two years of control remaining on both Bichette and Guerrero Jr., Toronto should trade them now. While it may hurt Toronto in the short term, the organization could greatly benefit in the future. Ross Atkins should stop being stubborn and just do what’s best for the organization.

The Front Office Should Admit Their Vision Failed Right Now

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Despite the talent on the Blue Jays roster, the team has been a massive disappointment this season. Their offense and pitching staff have regressed badly from last season’s success. Toronto has plenty of players on their roster that should be traded to reload their farm system. Ross Atkins should also understand the amount of value he could get back if he trades Bichette and Vlad Jr. now. It’s time for him to stop living in a World Series dream world and admit the organization’s failure this season. Overall, it’s time for them to tear it down, the current core hasn’t won a playoff game, and the team is bottoming out this season. The Blue Jays will greatly benefit in the future if they blow up their roster at the trade deadline.

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