Don’t Blow It Up.
The Toronto Bluejays are in a tailspin towards mediocrity, but Oliver Johnston is telling Jays Nation to calm down with their calls for a rebuild.
There are a lot of fans calling for a complete rebuild in the wake of the Jays poor performance. There are all kinds of suggestions being floated to trade seasoned veterans or young talent for prospects and rebuild the team from the ground up.
That would be a mistake.
Let’s be clear; a rebuild does not guarantee a quick return to the postseason in a few years. Most MLB rookies are around 24 when they make it to the big leagues despite being drafted between 18 and 21 years of age. That means we would not see these players for at least three years after their picks were acquired. Even then, teams of rookies and sophomores do not compete for playoff spots. By my estimate, the team wouldn’t be competitive for six to eight years. With all the good players currently on the team and all the money the Jays could spend in free agency, now is not the time for a rebuild.
Success!
Financial success is built on ticket sales, and attendance is very good right now. As long as the Jays are selling tickets (4th in the MLB), why would they even consider risking changing a proven business model?
As well, the Jays’ on-field performance is far from a full-on implosion. The Jays are, as of the end of August, still in the hunt for a wildcard spot. A slightly healthier season for Donaldson, Travis, and Sanchez, along with a less pathetic start next year, will have Toronto right in the thick of the playoff race.
The glass is at least half full.
They can improve on their overpaid mediocre performers . Tulowitzky is at the top of my trade list. Solid defensively, but he never found the power he had in Colorado. Tulo is still hitting .249, but his home runs and RBIs are way down, even compared to last season. Keeping him around would mean you have a legitimate major leaguer in your line-up who puts on a show defensively, but as time wears on even that will begin to dissipate.
Bautista shouldn’t be re-signed. He will be easy to move on from and replace. He is overpaid and under performing, hitting only .211 so far this season.
Russell Martin is not replaceable behind the plate PERIOD. He could hit .200 and I would still be in favour of keeping him for next season. Martin helps the pitching staff get borderline calls better than most catchers in the league. That is irreplaceable if the Jays choose to keep their current starting pitching.
Keep things in perspective.
There has been a dark cloud of doubt hanging over the Jays since the slow start. It just hasn’t felt like our year. If the Jays had started off 12–13 instead of 8–17 and we have a completely different view of the team.. They would be one game out of the Wild Card with that record. This is a strange season where all but three teams in the AL still have a shot at the wildcard. Those teams never unloaded their talent at the trade deadline and still have something to play for.
Can you really blame them? All fans really want is to watch meaningful baseball in September.
Oliver Johnston is a hockey and baseball contributor for TheOcho.ca.
