It’s down to the part of the season where the Blue Jays can’t afford to waste many plate appearances or innings. With the final Wild Card spot still within reach, John Schneider has to treat every lineup card like it matters - because it does.
That means some players need more run, and others need to see less of it. The case for Josh Smith is pretty straightforward.
Toronto picked him up from the Texas Rangers for Canadian pitcher Adam Macko, and at the time it looked like a curious move because Smith had been brutal at the plate in 2026. Since arriving in Toronto, though, he’s given the club a real jolt.
He has already hit five home runs in his first 51 plate appearances as a Blue Jay, despite a season high of only 13 long balls. He’s also held his own defensively in the infield.
Nobody’s asking him to turn into Aaron Judge, but while this stretch lasts, he should be in the lineup against right-handed pitchers.
Sean Keys belongs in the “more” column too, even if the fit is still messy. He’s a work in progress offensively and doesn’t have a clear defensive home, but Toronto’s lineup needs power wherever it can find it.
If the Blue Jays are going to keep using someone in a platoon role at designated hitter with George Springer, Keys is the better bet for those at-bats than Jesús Sánchez. He may not hit for much average, but he has the kind of raw pop that can change a game with one swing.
On the other side of the ledger, Sánchez is hard to justify right now. His outfield defense has become a real problem, with too many fly balls and pop-ups slipping away.
And the bat hasn’t covered for it. He was supposed to bring thump, but he’s managed just two home runs since the beginning of June, and too many of his trips to the plate have been dead on arrival.
At this point, he doesn’t offer enough in either spot to keep giving him regular run.
Alejandro Kirk is the other player who should be seeing less. He can’t catch every day, but he should be in there only about five or six times per week from here on out. The Blue Jays need more from the catcher spot, and if they’re still chasing that final AL Wild Card spot, that lighter workload could start as soon as the first week of October.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Suddenly Have A New Debate Around The Varsho Trade
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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 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Decision They Can't Delay
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John Schneider has kept Guerrero in the third spot anyway, a sign of how much trust the club still places in its most recognizable bat. But as the offense keeps searching for traction, the debate around a tougher move is growing louder, especially with other options such as Sean Keys waiting for more opportunity. [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 🡒]