Penton: Is it next-year country for Blue Jays?
By Bruce Penton
The Major League Baseball season has just passed the quarter pole, and it might already be next-year country for the Toronto Blue Jays. Could a rebuild begin by trading either Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., or Bo Bichette, or both?
Hope springs eternal every year, but here we are approaching the middle of June and the Blue Jays, in perhaps the toughest division in baseball, are sitting dead last, needing fairly strong binoculars to see the American League East-leading New York Yankees.
Pitching-wise, the Jays are strong, and with the recent performance by Alek Manoah, who went seven innings May 19 for his first victory since last August, the staff could be the catalyst that turns the Jays’ season around. Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman provide the Jays with a solid nucleus, and the others filling out the rotation, Yusei Kikuchi and Manoah (fingers crossed) fill out a relatively reliable five-man group.
But at the plate? When the Jays’ are on offence, Vincent Price should be the public address announcer. It's not pretty. Of MLB’s 30 teams, Toronto stood 27th in runs scored and 23rd in home runs at the end of May. If the team was in a rebuilding phase, those numbers might not matter, because better days would be ahead. But better days might be in the rear view mirror with this group, because the supposed heavy hitters are hitting puffballs.
Take George Springer, for example. Yes, please, take him, as comedian Rodney Dangerfield would say. In 2021, Springer was a big-name free agent signee from the Houston Astros, and the Jays guaranteed him $150 million over six years. This year. he's making $24,166,666 and after the May long weekend, Springer was batting .194 with three homers and eight runs-batted-in through Toronto's first 47 games. Next year, and again in 2026, he’ll pull down salaries in that $24 million range and by then he'll be 36 with likely even more diminishing skills.
The only Blue Jay with a respectable batting average through May 25 was Guerrero, Jr., who was hitting.289 with five home runs. Guerrero, Jr., hit 106 homers in the previous three seasons (35 per year average) but is on pace for a mere 16 this year. Shortstop Bichette, a career .294 hitter going into this season, was plodding along in the .230 range before hitting a bit of a hot streak. Both young stars (Guerrero, 25; Bichette 26) have been the subject of trade rumours and are free agents after the 2025 season.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote in mid-May that it “seems inconceivable” that Toronto would move either Guerrero or Bichette. Sportsnet, in fact, reported that the Jays have engaged in talks around major league baseball about a blockbuster trade involving both Guerrero, Jr., and Bichette. They’re stuck with Springer and his massive contract, but could start rebuilding by dealing their two young stars.
Heresy? Perhaps, but it might be the only way out of the mess in which the Jays find themselves.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: “What’s really missing from this Jays season — a schedule with 162 games against the White Sox.”
Headline at Canadian satirical website The Beaverton.com: “Toronto’s expansion WNBA franchise mathematically certain to win their league championship before Leafs do.”
Comedy guy Steve Burgess of Vancouver: “LinkedIn says my profile was searched by the Dallas Vigilantes Arena Football Team. Better late than never, I suppose.”
Headline at fark.com: “Watching every Dallas Cowboys game this season will cost $808.86 on various TV and streaming services, thanks to the new NFL licensing model. $807.86 sounds like a lot of money, but that’s less than four hot dogs, eight beers and a pretzel at the game.”
Scott Michaux of Global Golf Post, on Tiger Woods’ recent play “The last seven official results since the 2022 PGA for the 48-year-old Woods are: WD, MC, T45, WD, WD, 60th and MC. Age is undefeated.”
Super 70s Sports: “I’m gonna tell my grandkids there was once a simpler world where college conferences actually made sense.”
Another one from Steve Burgess: “The Canucks are out. Now there is nothing left in my bleak existence but waiting for the Garfield movie.”
Swiped from Steve Simmons’ column in the Toronto Sun: “49ers’ Nick Bosa on the calmness of his quarterback, Brock Purdy: ‘He reminds me of Scottie Scheffler, except he didn’t get arrested.’”
RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Canada's two PWHL playoff teams were eliminated in Round 1, so no championship for a Canadian women’s hockey team. Congratulations, ladies: you have achieved parity with Canadian men’s teams.”
Another fark.com headline, after UConn beat Purdue in the NCAA men’s basketball final: “Perdon’t”
The late Muhammad Ali, explaining his occupation: “It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca