It was a disappointing season for the Toronto Blue Jays. After a deep playoff run in 2015, they entered the 2016 campaign with high aspirations. After a terrible start the year, they found it tough sledding to get into the race in the American League East. After being a fringe World Series contender, the Jays couldn’t even make a case as a wild card.
They’re going to need a lot of help to compete in the American League East, which continues to be one of the toughest divisions in baseball. The question heading into the offseason is whether or not this team can regain their 2015 magic. If so, they might only be a piece or two away from contending. If 2016 is closer to who they are, they could be on course for worse days and a rebuild.
2016 Season Recap
The Blue Jays finished the season at 76-86, 17 games out of first place in the American League East and nine games out of the wild-card spot. The Blue Jays were 47-44 as a favorite last season, and 29-42 as an underdog, so they did a decent job of taking care of business against the teams they should have beaten, but they simply couldn’t compete with the top teams. The Blue Jays had a record of 63-93-9 when it came to the over/under standings, mainly due to their biggest problems; a lack of runs.
What Went Wrong
The Blue Jays struggled because strangely, they couldn’t hit the ball, which is strange because that is what they have done well over the last few years. The Blue Jays were 29th in the majors in batting average at .240, 26th in on-base percentage at .312, 24th in slugging percentage at .412 and 26th in runs with 693. Josh Donaldson battled injuries, although he came on strong in the second half of the season when he was finally healthy. But Jose Bautista struggled to stay above .200 for most of the season and he is surely gone from Toronto now, Troy Tulowitzki played just 66 games and didn’t hit well when he did play and they definitely missed Edwin Encarnacion, who left last summer for Cleveland.
Then when it came to pitching, the Blue Jays put up some decent numbrs as they were 14th in ERA at 4.42, tied for 14th in quality starts with 69, 16th in WHIP at 1.37 and 15th in average at .258. However, that was the problem as they weren’t consistent enough throughout the staff. Marco Estrada was all over the place and true to form, Aaron Sanchez couldn’t stay healthy, making just eight starts this season. Middle relief was a problem all season and the Blue Jays were tied for the most blown saves in the majors at 26, along with Seattle and Miami. Ten of those went to closer Roberto Osuna.
Also, the Blue Jays did give John Gibbons a contract extension prior to the season, but they might have gone as far as they can go with him at the helm. The problem is, they might not have a better option, so Gibbons will probably be there for next season, at least, although If the wheels fall off early, he’ll probabl take the fall.
What Went Right
While the team was frustrating, Osuna was also a strong suit with 39 saves and he is by far the best option the Blue Jays have for a closer. Marcus Stroman had a very good season in his first year as the Toronto ace and he showed that he was up for the challenge; some of his best outings came when he didn’t have his best stuff. J.A. Happ wasn’t a 20-win pitcher again, but he still picked up 14 wins and was pretty good. Justin Smoak was excellent at the plate with 38 home runs and 90 RBIs, while Kendrys Morales did was he was brought in to do, hitting 28 home runs with 85 RBIs. Donaldson was phenomenal in the second half of the season, but the Blue Jays were out of it by then. He is an MVP type of player if he can stay healthy, and the Blue Jays will be banking on him once again this season.
Key Free Agents
The Blue Jays almost definitely won’t bring back Bautista, who made $18 million last year and will go down as one of the best Toronto players in the history of the franchise, but unless he takes a major pay cut, he won’t be back (and even then, it is probably better if the two go their separate ways. Miguel Montero is also a free agent and he almost surely won’t be back after making $14 million to not really do much of anything. He was the backup catcher to Russell Martin, but he didn’t add much when replacing Martin and he’ll probably leave. The Blue Jays also have a slew of players who are eligible for arbitration starting in 2018, led by Donaldson, Stroman, Sanchez and a few others, so that is something to watch during the offseason.
Where They Need To Find Help
The Blue Jays are in the market to land Japanese star Shohei Otani, who is a pitcher and an outfielder, but it doesn’t seem like they’re a favorite to sign him. Elsewhere, the Blue Jays could be looking to sign anyone at any position that they can, although they might not have much money to do so (Bautista coming off the books helps). J.D. Martinez would be nice after a great year splitting time between Detroit and Houston, but he might be above their weight class in terms of money. Lorenzo Cain has been kicked around, but Kevin Pillar is already locked down in center field. As far as pitchers go, Alex Cobb is someone that the Blue Jays know well from his time in Tampa Bay, but he has issues staying healthy and the last thing the Blue Jays need is another starter that might be on the disabled list. The bullpen needs some help and pitchers like Wade Davis and Jake McGee could be in the mix for the Blue Jays. Left-handed pitchers are the Blue Jays’ biggest want for the bullpen and they both fall under that umbrella. Really, the Blue Jays could use help everywhere on the field; will they spend for it is another story.
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