These Yankees enemies could be included in Blue Jays trade deadline fire sale
Yankees fans would hate to see any members of the Toronto Blue Jays’ current core go — at least, not until they’re afforded enough time to finish the movie. Maybe just fire John Schneider first, then figure out the rest later?
At this moment in time, it’s far too early to theorize about whether the just-about-.500 Jays will pull the plug at the deadline, stuck in a division with several other just-about-.500 teams in a playoff picture where just-about-.500 keeps you in it until the end of September. But that didn’t stop MLB insider Ken Rosenthal from entertaining the notion on Foul Territory Tuesday, with the Jays floundering (by their standards) in Year 2 of the “Oops, All Defense!” lineup.
In fairness, they never expected supposed cornerstones like Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to look more like also-rans than MVP candidates. But, in unfairness, they should’ve! Guerrero, specifically, regressed significantly from his halcyon days in 2021 to the end of the 2023 season. A further backslide wasn’t out of the question.
The good news? His price will stay relatively tame in free agency, considering he’s already counted the Yankees out. Slick business move! The bad news? Everything else; he’s only under contract through 2025 at an escalating cost, and is currently making just under $20 million for 2024, thanks to the arbitration process. Would Toronto rather pay him $30 million next season and bank on a recovery, or include him in a midseason, headline-grabbing payroll shucking?
