Young trio boosts hopes in Canada

Five issues facing the Blue Jays:

Pitching:

The Blue Jays used an MLBleading 21 starters last year. After trading Marcus Stroman to the Mets in July, they officially waved the white flag, drawing from a pool of middling veterans and unproven rookies.

Trent Thornton had by far the most innings for the Blue Jays (1541⁄3), logging a 4.84 ERA and 6-9 record. While Toronto has some top-tier talent in the farm system, it needs to find some more affordable, reliable arms on the open market.

Spending:

Looking to develop youth, the Blue Jays are in the midst of a hefty rebuild. Yet more experience will be needed to help the kids along and provide some consistent production.

Tanner Roark was a nice start. The right-hander, who went 10-10 last season with a 4.35 ERA in 31 starts (1651⁄3 innings), agreed to a $24 million, two-year contract, according to The Associated Press.

Will the Blue Jays spend more?

production:

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. offered some production, with 20 homers and 50 RBI in 84 games.

Randal Grichuk slugged 31 home runs in 2019, but his OBP was only .280. Teoscar Hernandez presents a similar problem. Improvements might be necessary, especially since their minor league talent is pitching and infield heavy.

first base problem:

Just two years removed from an All-Star season, Justin Smoak was incredibly underwhelming at first base in 2019. Although his defense was elite, there was little else to get excited about.

Smoak is one of the last surviving players from Toronto’s 2015 AL Eastwinning team. In this case, sentiment might be an issue. There’s a possibility the 33-year-old will be willing to accept a limited role, but the Blue Jays might need to think about the future.

Although they lost 95 game last year, the Blue Jays

also saw the emergence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 20, Cavan Biggio, 24, and Bo Bichette, 21. The trio held their own at the major league level, proving that they can form the core of what Toronto hopes will someday be a powerful lineup.

Yet the three will need to show im

ANDY MARLIN/USA TODAY SPORTS Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., just 20, hit 15 homers with 69 RBI and a .272 batting average in 2019, his rookie season.