The Blue Jays’ offense is stuck in a rut, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is right at the center of it.
Guerrero Jr., the club’s half-a-billion-dollar star, has not been producing the kind of damage Toronto needs from the three-hole. Instead of driving rallies, he has too often turned into an out-maker, grounding into double plays and failing to get the ball out of the infield. That problem showed up again Wednesday in the Blue Jays’ 2-0 loss to the Athletics.
Late in that game, Guerrero Jr. came to the plate with runners on the corners and one out. He jumped on the first pitch and rolled it into the dirt, ending the inning with a double play. It was another missed chance in a season that has been defined by them.
John Schneider has kept Guerrero Jr. in the No. 3 spot anyway, even though a .619 OPS over the last 30 games hardly fits that role. The argument here is simple: the Blue Jays need to stop waiting for things to click on their own and make a real change, even if it means sitting Guerrero Jr. for a game.
Sean Keys looks like the obvious option to get some run. He was called back up after mashing in Buffalo and has already gone 3-for-8 with a home run since returning. He would fit neatly in a group that also includes leadoff man Brett Bateman, a hot Kazuma Okamoto and Alejandro Kirk.
Josh Smith, who has also handled some outfield work as the team’s utility option, should be in there too based on the way he is swinging the bat. If a left-hander is on the mound, though, the setup should shift to Charles McAdoo instead.
Toronto’s offense is begging for a spark. If the lineup stays the same, the results likely will too. The Jays need to shake things up and give Guerrero Jr. a couple of days off, because right now the bat they were counting on most is helping stall everything around him.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Suddenly Have A New Debate Around The Varsho Trade
Houstons gamble on Daulton Varsho was supposed to be about run prevention and October polish, the kind of deadline move that can steady a team when the games get tighter. Instead, the former Blue Jays outfielder has found himself in an offensive rut, which has only added to the conversation around what the trade was really worth and how much value his glove can carry if the bat stays quiet.
From Torontos side, the deal has taken on a different shape altogether. The Blue Jays still have not gotten the pitching boost they wanted from Spencer Arrighetti, whose rough stretch has lingered since early June, but they have seen Brett Bateman settle in and give the outfield a fresh look after Varsho moved on. What was once framed as a straightforward deadline swap now feels a lot less settled for both clubs. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Face A Costly Bullpen Decision Around Louis Varland
The Blue Jays have at least one obvious priority as they sort through their offseason bullpen plans, and it starts with the idea of giving Louis Varland a more defined partner in late innings. San Diegos Adrian Morejon has emerged as a possible fit in free agency, giving Toronto a left-handed arm with the kind of track record that could make the relief mix look a lot more balanced if the club decides to spend big.
The catch is the price tag. Morejon could be looking at a deal in the neighborhood of four years and $60 million, a steep commitment for any bullpen, and one that would also come with qualifying offer considerations. Toronto is weighing whether the appeal of a right-left late-game pairing is worth that kind of investment, and for now that decision may say as much about the front offices appetite for risk as it does about the bullpen itself. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Just Made One Canada Baseball Story Even Bigger
The Jays Care Foundation has helped turn a remote corner of Canada into a new baseball landmark, funding the construction of a diamond in Arctic Bay, Nunavut that is now the worlds northernmost baseball field. The project went beyond the playing surface, with turf, benches and spectator stands installed as part of a broader push to give more communities a place to play.
Arctic Bay covered some additional costs, but the field still stands as one of the clearest examples of how the Blue Jays charitable arm has tried to spread the game well beyond the major-league map. It was part of the 2022 Field of Dreams program, an effort aimed at improving baseball infrastructure across Canada, and this one adds a particularly striking northern chapter to that mission. [Read more 🡒]