The Toronto Blue Jays will likely not have a good year in the rough-and-tumble American League East. They added Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer to an aging and injured roster. They might be able to hit, but can their new additions improve the team’s pitching? They finished in last place in their division this past year and might be headed there again this season. Superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the last year of his rookie contract, and superstar Bo Bichette is coming off an injury-marred season. The Blue Jays are at a crossroads. Do you think they will finish in last place in the East again?
Toronto Blue Jays’ Starting Rotation
The Blue Jays starting rotation is headed by Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios. The same fact is true about both of them. They were both elite starting pitchers but are now declining. Bowden Francis is the third stater and he a different story last year. He is on the rise, and he started and was relieved last season. Scherzer was a valuable acquisition and fifth starter Chris Bassett is a reliable innings eater. Alek Manoah and Yariel Rodriguez provide depth.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Key Bullpen Pieces
JC Romero was the closer for the Jays, but he suffered an elbow injury in an otherwise forgettable year. Now, he has departed for the Philadelphia Phillies. With the struggles of JC Romero last year, Chad Creen led Toronto in saves and will have the most chances in the closer role this year. Green had a respectable earned run average, but many of his internal numbers plummeted.
Other arms in the Blue Jays bullpen include late-inning possibility newcomer Yimi Garcia. Erik Swanson will likely bounce back from an awful 2024 season with an earned run average north of 5.00. Ryan Burr and newly acquired Jeff Hoffman have the most potential of the arms in the bullpen.
Catcher
This is Alejandro Kirk’s job. It is likely that the cult hero Kirk, who has an unorthodox approach, will get more than 400 at-bats. Tyler Heinemann will likely be the backup, though that job is up for grabs during Spring Training.
Infield
Bichette is looking to bounce back from a poor and injury-marred season that ended early with a finger injury. The Blue Jays expect Bichette to capably man the shortstop position. Guerreo Jr. is a star at first base. True, his home run numbers tumbled a bit last year, but he walked a lot, which is a good sign. Three-time gold glove winner from Cleveland, Andres Gimenez, will play well defensively at second base, but it remains to be seen if he can hit.
Third base for Toronto is in the steady hands of Ernie Clement, who had a 3.4 WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Will Wagner and Davis Schnieder will fill utility roles for the Blue Jays, though they will have to fight for their positions in spring training.
Outfield
The outfield for the Blue Jays has possibly the largest free-agent acquisition in the division. They are set with gold glover Daulton Varsho in centerfield. George Springer has two years left on his contract. Free agent signee from the Baltimore Orioles, Anthony Santander, will play left field and two subpar options, Joey Loperfido and Nathan Lukes, will backup the starters.
Designated Hitter
Toronto lacks a true designated hitter, so George Springer and Vladimir Guerro Jr. will get days off in the field to DH. In spring training, watch Davis Schneider, who needs to hit his way back into the lineup.
Blue Jays Management
The Blue Jays do not have a good farm system; they are too good to tank and not good enough to compete in this division. Manager John Schneider is like the team: mediocre. Without some bounce-back seasons and help from new acquisitions, like Santander and Scherzer, they cannot compete in the American League East.
Conclusion
The Toronto Blue Jays have added some hitting and pitching depth to the lineup. Will they finish in last place in the American League East? When we look at this team, we see a lot of aging veterans who will struggle in the rough and tumble-division.
