TORONTO: The Toronto Blue Jays are playing out the string and planning for next season after exiting the postseason several months ago.
With the Cincinnati Reds coming to Toronto this week for a three-game series at Rogers Centre, there was at least a modicum of intrigue. Longtime Reds first baseman Joey Votto was playing for Buffalo Bisons, Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate. Some supporters held out hope that Votto would eventually be called up with his former club in town and fulfill his dream of playing for his hometown team.
The issue was that Votto was not the MVP he once was, slashing, and instead spent the majority of the season recovering from ailments after agreeing to a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays in the spring.165/.298/.271 in thirty-one games played at three different minor league levels. Votto, 40, quashed any speculation that he would be called up by the Blue Jays this week when he announced his retirement from Major League Baseball after 17 seasons, all spent with the Reds.
Joey Votto announces that he is officially retiring from baseball. 🐐⚾ #Reds pic.twitter.com/UZhZE4Pu4m
— Cincinnati 💔 (@CincyProblems) August 21, 2024
Thus, even though we now know the conclusion to the Votto and Blue Jays story, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. I recently encouraged readers to send in their mailbag questions, and some of the issues that came up included what Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s extension would look like, which young players are having a big impact, and what should be done with the bullpen. First portion of the mailbag is here.
Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity.
Who do you see from this group of young players being key contributors for next year? — Bruce P.
Spencer Horwitz has set himself up nicely for the next season. After a wild start, his bat has cooled, but as of Wednesday, he still has the third-highest OPS among Blue Jays with at least 200 plate appearances (.757). Although his transition to second base has been successful, he is still versatile because he can play left field or first base.
Bowden Francis’s reputation has also increased following his outstanding past three starts. The right-hander has had an inconsistent season overall, so in his few remaining starts, he will need to demonstrate that he can maintain the kind of performance that earned him Player of the Week. However, if he can close the season out strongly, that will give him momentum going into next spring when he is vying for a rotation spot.
With each week he spends in the majors, Leo Jiménez seems to be growing more at ease. Lately, he has displayed some sneaky power, going 3-for-6 with home runs before Wednesday. Naturally, in the few games he is played, Will Wagner has already left a lasting impact. Since being called up on August 12, the 26-year-old has at least one hit in every game in which he has started. The Blue Jays might utilize his contact-oriented left-handed bat, so he could still be useful in the next season. Although Joey Loperfido has not started as quickly as Wagner, the Blue Jays like his tools, and he will have plenty of opportunity to earn a
Could Danny Jansen return to the Jays this offseason? (Dan Hamilton / USA Today)
How likely is it that one of the players the Jays recently traded—Danny Jansen or Yusei Kikuchi, for example—will sign a new contract with the team in the off-season? Both players have expressed a desire to play in Toronto. — Michael A.
It is hard to predict free agency, but I am going to assume there will be interest in bringing Jansen and Kikuchi back. Blue Jays manager John Schneider acknowledged both players and suggested that they would return in the offseason, at least following their separate deals. Though he was not quite as blunt, general manager Ross Atkins stated that he “certainly” sees a chance for the players they traded away to return in free agency.
Out of the two, Kikuchi seems like the one who is more likely to come back. He developed a shared love and affection for the group. Kikuchi and his family spent a whole off-season in Toronto, demonstrating their apparent genuine enjoyment of the city. Kikuchi looks like a good fit for the Blue Jays, who need to fill at least two places in their rotation.
Nevertheless, Kikuchi seems to have settled in nicely in Houston, and he has benefited right away from working with their coaching staff, who is renowned for developing pitchers to their full potential. Though players want to be where they feel comfortable, the decision ultimately boils down to which organization gives the best contract. Perhaps Toronto is that for Kikuchi, or perhaps his brief stint with the Astros opens his eyes to the possibilities of what other teams may be able to offer him.
What are the years and dollar amount of an extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and how much should the Jays offer Juan Soto? — Nate B.
Guerrero had a poor April, but the remainder of the season he has played like a superstar. When he arrived on Wednesday, he was cutting.318/.391/.552 with 26 home runs, and among all qualified hitters, his 165 wRC+ puts him in sixth place in the majors. Fans and the squad have been hoping for this kind of exceptional season from the 25-year-old. Guerrero’s 2024 performance has been just what he needed to position himself for a large payday in preparation of his free agency scheduled for after next season. Guerrero followed up his near-MVP season in 2021 with two excellent but not outstanding seasons. And the team that should be paying him that salary is the Blue Jays.
Guerrero’s seven-year, $185 million contract was predicted by Tim Britton of The Athletic prior to the season, but a lot has happened. The 25-year-old Guerrero is comparable to Rafael Devers, who inked a 10-year, $313.5 million pact with the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2023 season, according to Brandon Wile’s analysis of comparable contracts at The Score more recently. I agree.
Their statistics are comparable. Similar to Guerrero the next year, Devers was 26 years old and approaching his last season as a member of the squad. Guerrero has been playing third base more frequently lately, but Devers occupies a more valuable position there. The Blue Jays ought to take a cue from the Red Sox and complete the agreement before to the start of the upcoming campaign. (After the season, the front office should complete it as soon as possible if they genuinely want to win over the fan base.) The only approach for the Blue Jays to secure Guerrero’s future while also strengthening their club around him is to secure his contract if they hope to contend in 2019 and beyond.
Regarding Soto, industry rumors, such as those from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, suggest that he will be cleared for $500 million and ten years. According to Jon Heyman, the amount of his contract may be closer to $600 million, as he stated on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.
Does Horwitz’s arrival as a major league bat who can also play two spots defensively make the Jays think differently about Guerrero? Vlad has the potential to be a solid major league third baseman, which would leave Horwitz to play first base and free up Wagner or another player to play second base. — Frank W.
Given that Guerrero has started the last two games versus the Reds at third base, this is an extremely pertinent question. Guerrero has started at third base in eight games overall this season, which is the most since his rookie campaign in 2019. However, in the big picture, Guerrero has only started extremely rarely.
How at ease would the Blue Jays be, then, if Guerrero started 120 games at third base? In response to a question on the subject, Schneider stated that he would feel at ease with Guerrero starting that many games at third base.
Though I would not necessarily expect Guerrero to be the starting third baseman next season—after all, that was just hypothetical—I do believe the front office and coaching staff have at least considered it because, as previously mentioned, it gives the team more lineup flexibility.
Guerrero may see increased playing time during the final six weeks of the season, and the Blue Jays will be watching to see whether he can settle down and produce the necessary plays.
This year has not been kind to the bullpen. Aside from the health issue, what adjustments are required during the offseason to return to league average? — Alex L.
One of the most unexpected aspects of this season gone awry has been the collapse of the Blue Jays bullpen, a strength going into the season. Only Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox were worse off than Toronto’s bullpen, which came in at number 28 in the ERA rankings before Wednesday’s games (4.93). To restore the team back to league average or better, a big makeover will be required.
As previously said, health will be an issue. The team has high hopes that closer Jordan Romano will be able to play a few healthy games before the season finishes and recuperate from his elbow ailment before then. The goal is for him to reach his best level of play by 2025, the last season he has with the team before becoming a free agent.
As for who else could remain from this year’s group, Chad Green will return as the veteran of the group, while Génesis Cabrera has been stable enough this season that he should have a slot, too. Brendon Little could be an option as well considering he has minor-league options remaining.
After a rocky start, Erik Swanson appeared to be on the upswing, as seen by his 1.69 ERA in 10 2/3 innings since the All-Star break. However, on Wednesday, he gave up two home runs and two walks in a 1/3 inning. The Blue Jays may offer him a contract and bring him back if he can demonstrate that his difficulties over the past month and a half have been completely overcome. If not, though, he might not be a competitive candidate.
Of the players listed above, there are three spots likely locked up and two maybes — leaving at least three to five spots to fill either internally or externally. Within the system, Hagen Danner has had success at Triple A when he hasn’t been injured, with a 2.81 ERA in 25 appearances with 27 strikeouts.
But in all honesty, in order to turn their bullpen back into a strength, the Blue Jays need to add some trustworthy arms to it, either through trade or free agency. This winter, who is out there? Tanner Scott, Kenley Jansen, Paul Sewald (who has not been as effective this year), Kendall Graveman (who has missed all of 2024 due to shoulder surgery), Scott Barlow, Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes, and, of course, longtime buddy Yimi García are just a few of the intriguing names.
(Top photo of Guerrero: Kevin Sousa / Getty Images)
