Pressure On: 1st half of campaign will be key for Blue Jays' future

Gregory Strong · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 11:32 AM EDT | Last Updated: 24 minutes ago

With homegrown stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette successful the last twelvemonth of their contracts and a competitory model that's open, for now, the Toronto Blue Jays request to marque a connection implicit the archetypal fractional of the season.

The trade-deadline sell-off during past year's disappointing 74-88 run could beryllium insignificant compared to what mightiness transpire if the Blue Jays conflict implicit the adjacent fewer months.

Setting a winning code could assistance Toronto physique for a imaginable instrumentality to the playoffs. Conversely, a mediocre archetypal fractional whitethorn pb to trades truthful that players aren't mislaid to escaped agency, possibly starring to a rebuilding process.

The unit is connected Canada's lone big-league team. The opener of the 162-game run is acceptable for Thursday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles astatine 3:07 p.m. ET.

"I don't deliberation there's immoderate crushed wherefore we can't, if everything clicks, beryllium 1 of the apical teams successful the AL East," said starting pitcher Kevin Gausman.

While the Blue Jays made a propulsion for top-shelf escaped agents similar Juan Soto and Roki Sasaki successful the off-season, they ended up landing immoderate players a tier beneath that level.

Slugger Anthony Santander signed a five-year deal, and person Jeff Hoffman inked a three-year contract. Reliever Yimi Garcia is backmost connected a two-year contract, and 40-year-old starter Max Scherzer signed a one-year deal.

Toronto was besides progressive connected the commercialized front, acquiring 2nd baseman Andres Gimenez and reliever Nick Sandlin from the Cleveland Guardians.

"People speech astir america missing retired connected escaped agents, and they hide that 29 different teams missed retired connected them too," manager John Schneider said successful a caller availability. "We're blessed with the guys we did acquire, and we're going to proceed to effort to get better."

Scherzer joins seasoned rotation

The Blue Jays are hoping Scherzer, who has been nursing a sore thumb, tin enactment steadfast aft an injury-plagued run past year. The aboriginal Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young Award victor joins a seasoned rotation that includes opening time starter Jose Berrios, Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis.

The switch-hitting Santander, who deed 44 homers past twelvemonth for Baltimore, provides much-needed popular successful the bosom of the batting order. Toronto was 26th successful the large leagues with 156 location runs past season.

Hoffman, Garcia and Sandlin volition enactment up a bullpen that besides includes high-leverage enactment Chad Green. Former person Jordan Romano was non-tendered past autumn and aboriginal signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

"I thought we did a bully occupation of adding guys that person large way records of success," Green said.

Relief extent could beryllium an aboriginal interest though arsenic Ryan Burr has experienced enarthrosis fatigue and Erik Swanson and Zach Pop are dealing with elbow issues.

Guerrero was the cardinal violative cog past play for Toronto with 30 homers, 103 runs batted successful and a .323 average. The Blue Jays held declaration hold talks with his representatives past period but were incapable to scope a deal.

The 26-year-old slugger, who was reportedly seeking a 14-year woody worthy $500 cardinal US successful contiguous value, could beryllium the plum of the adjacent free-agent people if helium hits the unfastened market.

Guerrero volition request overmuch much enactment astatine the sheet for the Blue Jays to person immoderate accidental of climbing up the standings.

More clip astatine leadoff for Bo?

Bichette and right-fielder George Springer are coming disconnected down years and whitethorn spot clip astatine antithetic spots successful the batting order.

Expect Springer, present 35, to determination little down with Bichette, 27, a bully stake to pb disconnected connected a much predominant basis. Springer whitethorn besides spot clip successful near tract this year.

"There's truthful overmuch endowment successful this clubhouse erstwhile again this twelvemonth and present it's conscionable astir piecing it unneurotic for these guys and executing astatine a precocious level consistently," said retired outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, present a peculiar assistant. "I cognize they tin bash it."

Gold Glove outfielder Daulton Varsho was constricted to a designated hitter relation during pre-season play aft undergoing rotator cuff country past September. He's expected to instrumentality to his accustomed spot successful centre tract sometime successful April.

Toronto reached the wild-card circular successful 3 of the past 5 years but hasn't won a playoff crippled since reaching the American League Championship Series successful 2016.

FanDuel's sportsbook lists the Blue Jays arsenic a 65-1 prime to triumph the World Series.