The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a tough 2024 season. They completed 14 video games below .500 and final within the AL East. Whereas they’d a lineup that includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer, their offense was among the many worst within the American League. Worst of all, their pitching employees regressed from the most effective to one of many worst. Regardless of the dearth of postseason success, a low-ranked farm system, and plenty of key gamers changing into free brokers after the 2025 season; Toronto determined in opposition to rebuilding and can attempt to compete subsequent season. These days, they appear to suppose that they’re reputable contenders within the Juan Soto sweepstakes. This offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays are within the silly mindset of pondering they’re higher than they are surely.
A Nightmare 2024 Season
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Regardless of having the seventh-highest payroll in baseball, the 2024 season was an entire nightmare for the Toronto Blue Jays. The workforce missed the postseason and completed 14 video games below .500 and in final place within the American League East. Whereas Toronto’s lineup featured stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer; their offense solely averaged 4.14 runs per recreation. The one groups who averaged fewer runs than the Blue Jays had been the Athletics, Angels, Rays, and White Sox. It didn’t assist that each Springer and Bichette had career-worst seasons. Whereas the Blue Jays offense has continued to wrestle, Common Supervisor Ross Atkins retains foolishly saying it’ll bounce again.
A Pitching Workers That Regressed Badly
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In 2023, the Blue Jays pitching employees was the most effective in baseball. Nonetheless, in 2024, it’d’ve had the worst regression the league has seen shortly. As a employees, it compiled an ERA of 4.29 placing them close to the underside of the American League. The one groups that had greater earned run averages than Toronto had been the Rangers, Athletics, Angels, and White Sox. Pitchers like Alek Manoah, Jordan Romano, Chris Bassitt, Yariel Rodriguez, Zach Pop, and Erik Swanson had been both damage or ineffective. It wasn’t too farfetched to suppose that perhaps Toronto’s pitching overachieved the season earlier than.
Pushing Off A Rebuild
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On the commerce deadline, Toronto dealt away Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Turner, Danny Jansen, Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Nate Pearson. After the season concluded, many individuals thought Toronto would enter a rebuild. The workforce had a poor 2024 season and has the Twenty fourth-ranked farm system with no prospects within the high 100, and key gamers like Vlad Jr., and Bo Bichette can be free brokers after subsequent season. The workforce hasn’t made any actual progress in extending both of these two gamers. Nonetheless, regardless of the state of their workforce, Toronto has indicated that they’ll contend in 2025. This resolution will come again to harm the Blue Jays very quickly as they’ll have a good longer rebuild forward. Maybe it’ll be sufficient to wake Chairman Ed Rogers from his nap and have a tendency to his uncared for workforce.
The Blue Jays Are Delusional To Assume They Can Signal Juan Soto
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Juan Soto is essentially the most prized free agent on the open market. Postseason contending groups just like the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies can be within the combine to try to signal him. The Blue Jays are at present below the delusion that they’re a critical vacation spot for Soto. In spite of everything, marijuana is authorized in Canada, and the Blue Jays are gravely fallacious about their probabilities of getting Juan Soto. This workforce has an upcoming future that might be full of lacking the postseason, extra losses, and last-place finishes. Scott Boras is simply benefiting from Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro’s gullibility and utilizing them to drive up Soto’s worth.
The Workforce Is Turning into Extra Irrelevant Every Season
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Regardless of the dearth of success, the Toronto Blue Jays proceed to suppose they’re a championship-caliber workforce. Nonetheless, final season confirmed that this workforce is nearer to rebuilding than profitable the World Sequence. The truth that they suppose that they’re a critical vacation spot for Juan Soto makes them look much more delusional. I don’t suppose they notice that Scott Boras is simply utilizing them as leverage. Toronto’s cockiness goes to explode of their face and their impending rebuild gained’t have an finish in sight.
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