Why I am not too optimistic about the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025

Frankly, unless things changes drastically, I can't see Toronto Blue Jays finishing higher than fourth of fifth in the American League East in 2025.  So far, management has not given me any reason for optimism. Just recently, the Jays gave up on closer Jordan Romano.  Why?  Was it his fault that he was injured?  He was one of the top relievers in Major League Baseball.  He contributed a great deal to any success the Jays had until his injury-ridden 2024 season.  There is no reason why Romano can't recover and return to form.  Good relievers are hard to find, and the Jays; bullpen needs all the help it can get.  Jordan Romano will likely come back to haunt the Jays, especially if he remains in the AL East.  Romano deserved better.  Blue Jay fans deserve better.

The facts speak for themselves, as they say.  The Jays had a very disappointing 2024 season.  They finished dead last in the AL East.  Their performance was truly underwhelming.  The 2024 season was hardly an anomaly.  The Jays have not won a playoff game since 2015.  Their lack of success in postseason play cannot and should not be overlooked.  It's not good enough to say that they won 89 or 90 games in the regular season.  They just haven't been able to win when it really counts.

There is no sign that the Jays have improved their hitting.  In fact, Mark Shapiro, President and CEO of the team, and GM Ross Atkins,  do not seem to regard power hitting as a great priority.  When asked about his adding a legitimate run-scoring threat to his lineup during the off-season, Atkins replied, "Power is the low-hanging fruit.  I don't think in today's game, you also have to be cognizant of strikeouts whenever you do (add a power bat.)"

The long ball may not be everything, Mr. Atkins, but how did the Blue Jays do last season without much power hitting?  They really missed Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Guriel Jr.  They scored just 671 runs in 2024, their lowest output since 1997.  Meanwhile, Teoscar hit 33 home runs in 2024, with a batting average of .272, 99 RBI and an OPS of .840.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit 18 home runs in 2024, with a .279 batting average, 75 RBI and an OPS of .757.  Hernandez helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the this year's World Series.

One of the worst mistakes the Jays' management has ever made is trading away catcher Gabriel Moreno for Daulton Varsho.  Moreno is only 24, and he has the potential to be a generational player. Now that Danny Jansen has gone to the Boston Red Sox, the Jays could really use Moreno to catch along with Alejandro Kirk.  Mark Shapiro does not regret trading Moreno and claims that it was a good trade.  "You can't evaluate a trade in the short term, you've got to give it four or five years to understand whether a trade was effective or not," according Shapiro.

No doubt Dsulton Varsho is a superb defensive outfielder.  However, his hitting is merely mediocre.  His batting average was only .214  in 2024.  Moreover, Varsho is 28 years old, four years older than Moreno.  The Blue Jays lacked the offence to go far in the playoffs in 2023, and they lacked the offence compete in the  regular season in 2024.

To make matters worse, the Jays could lose Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to free agency.  They don't seem too adamant about keeping him.  Unless things change greatly, 2025 will be another lost season for the Toronto Blue Jays.  Rogers seems satisfied with Shapiro and Atkins.  Otherwise, the duo would be gone by now.  If fans don't show up, and the seats are empty at the dome, Rogers may decide to make changes.  The bottom line is that Shapiro and Atkins have to go.

- Joanne