National Post (National Edition)
Reason for hope in Jays’ sad season
Future stars should play more in second half
While Vlad Guerrero Jr. was hitting out 91 home runs in his all-star derby delight on Monday, other Toronto Blue Jays were getting as far away from the action as possible — or at least attempting to, away.
Social media tells us that Justin Smoak was doing his favourite downtime activity, landing a massive fish in Charleston, S.C., and Randal Grichuk was battling a bad Air Canada experience. Can’t win ‘em all.
Presumably most of the team scattered for a well-deserved break just past the midway point of what is the most gruelling schedule in professional sports.
In most of the obvious, measurable ways, the first 91 games of the 2019 season were a trying disappointment for the Jays, record-wise a performance worse than even the gloomiest of projections.
Not much more was to be hoped for, however, especially when management stopped just short of saying a team has zero expectation of winning and then living through the consequences.
That’s been the case with the 2019 Jays (and likely the 2020 at minimum) though general manager Ross Atkins has acknowledged that results so far this season have been even worse than expected.
Pitching has been a disaster at times, both with a
rotation that is perpetually one man down, and from an uneven bullpen. Injuries, especially to the pitching staff, haven’t let up since spring training.
The better news, such as it is, is that the young potential stars on the Jays have been fun to watch — when losses don’t reach blowout territory as they have too often — and already signs of growth are emerging.
You don’t have to look too deeply to see that players such as Guerrero, Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Danny Jansen have significant upside and already are capable of having an impact at the big-league level.
If the Jays do the right thing and add top prospect Bo Bichette soon, there will be even more incentive for fans to pay attention.
It’s back at it on Friday night in the Bronx for the first of three vs. the Yankees and a 10-game road trip to start the unofficial second half of the season. And with that, we’ ll offer up a look back and ahead in a season of reconstruction.
VLAD GOES DEEP
A commonly held worry heading into this week’s home run derby was that the entire process would be counterproductive to rookie Jays slugger Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s development.
The betting here is that such concerns are a bunch of bunk.
Yes, the 91 home runs were a spectacle, a series of balls launched rather spectacularly from batting practice tosses grooved to near perfection by Jays major league coach John Schneider.
But thriving under that spotlight and receiving praise from the best players in the sport will only further strengthen Guerrero’s confidence.
The eight home runs in 61 real games is certainly below projections for the 20-yearold, but in fairness, no matter how voluminous the hype that preceded him, the need for an adjustment period can’t be a surprise.
Remember this, however: Guerrero (who has 13 doubles and a batting average of .249) hits the ball hard — and he will continue to do so.
It would be no surprise if Vlad Jr. started hitting home runs in bunches, especially after his coming-out party in Cleveland where he not only stole the show, but proved he belongs among MLB stardom.
LET THE RECORD SHOW
Yes it’s bad. Historically bad. The 34-57 mark and a .374 win percentage has the Jays on pace for 100 losses for just the fourth time in franchise history and the first since the record 109-loss 1979 campaign.
On one hand, it would be difficult to imagine the team struggling in the win column as poorly as it did over the first 91 games, especially now that younger players are gaining in confidence.
On the other, if starting pitching continues to be an issue and inconsistency at the plate rules the day, it can’t be counted out.
Of note, the previous time they finished the season below a .400 win percentage was in 1995 when they finished 56-88 (. 389).
FREE TRADE
With MLB finally coming to its senses and having just one trade deadline on July 31, speculation will swirl inside and outside the Jays clubhouse over the next couple of weeks.
At the top of the list will be starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who is almost certain to be dealt, with closer Ken Giles not far behind in the expected sell-off.
The Stroman talk has already escalated and will continue to do so with any number of suitors possible.
Tough to tell the veracity of the rumours suggesting that the Atlanta Braves have an interest in Stroman, but it’s fun to ponder the possibilities just the same.
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, of course, was running the show in Toronto in 2012 when he made Stroman a first-round pick.
As for Giles, he has helped the Jays by pitching as good as he has at any point in his career and without the apparent drama that paved his exit from Houston. Given that the Jays are so rarely in save situations, he’s expendable, especially if the return price is reasonable.
BO KNOWS
With so many of the young Jays stars already with the team, the focus on when Bo Bichette gets his shot at the big leagues will be a dominant storyline.
There’s little issue that the son of former all-star Dante Bichette and a kid who walked so many minor league steps alongside Guerrero and Biggio is ready.
Since returning from a broken bone in his hand in mid-June, Bichette has been on fire, batting .361 for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, adding four home runs while also excelling on the infield.
A current issue, such as it is right now, is a crowded infield with both Freddy Galvis and Eric Sogard eating up innings and producing. Given that, it wouldn’t be a surprise if either were moved at the deadline if there are takers, freeing up playing time for Bichette.
And how intriguing would an infield of Guerrero at third, Bichette at short and Biggio at second be as a glimpse of the future?
Postmedia News rlongley@postmedia.com