2016 likelier year for Toronto Blue Jays to break postseason drought?
The Toronto Blue Jays have the lengthiest span of time without a playoff appearance not just in MLB, but across all four of the major sports leagues in North America. Granted, the last time they appeared in the postseason was 1993 and they won a championship. But the two-plus decades of futility since then must be aggravating to Jays fans. Even more so the city of Toronto given the Maple Leafs on-going organizational soap opera and the Raptors being perennial playoff letdowns.
In the American League East, it looks like it could be a tight race down the stretch. The Tampa Bay Rays were thought to have the best rotation on paper but it was paired with a youthful, inexperienced lineup. Now, with Alex Cobb and Drew Smyly set to miss substantial amounts of time, that rotation has taken a big hit.
Meanwhile, Baltimore, New York, Boston and Toronto can all hit well, but none have playoff caliber pitching staffs, yet. The Red Sox, Orioles and Blue Jays all rank in the bottom third of the league for team ERA. The first place Yankees have the best fighting chance for an AL East title with Michael Pineda emerging as a legitimate ace and Dellin Betances shutting down hitters in the eighth and ninth innings of games with closer Andrew Miller. But their lineup is aging and therefore prone to breakdowns.
None of this is to say the Toronto Blue Jays cannot or will not make the playoffs this season. But if they don’t, 2016 should hold some optimism. Jose Bautista (34) and Edwin Encarnacion (32) both have club options that will surely be picked up for next year. Russell Martin (32), Jose Reyes (31) and Josh Donaldson (29) — all back and in their primes, pending no unforeseeable trades. That right there means No. 1 through No. 5 in the heart of this batting order, the Blue Jays will return everyone. Also, don’t forget rookie second baseman Devon Travis (24) who has been a revelation for the Blue Jays so far in 2015.
Pitching wise, R.A. Dickey‘s (40) hefty salary and under-performing ways will be gone next season. Marcus Stroman (24)will be back, and rookies Aaron Sanchez (22) and Daniel Norris (22) will be a year further down the road in their respective developments. Mark Buehrle‘s (36) veteran status will likely have vacated the roster, leaving Drew Hutchison (24) as the most veteran arm on the rotation because Marco Estrada (31) also becomes a UFA in 2016.
Saying goodbye to Dickey and Buehrle will free the team of a combined $32 million in 2015 base salaries. With exciting names like Scott Kazmir (31), David Price (29), Johnny Cueto (29) and Jordan Zimmermann (28) headed for free agency in 2016, a trade deadline deal might be an option for Toronto. If it’s not, Alex Anthopoulos and management have to look at siging one of them. They have no choice. The Blue Jays’ rotation has been mediocre for years. They need an ace with a veteran presence if they want to be considered true contenders.
In terms of the bullpen, Roberto Osuna (20) looks like a closer in the making for the Blue Jays. Miguel Castro (20) and Liam Hendriks (26) also hold long-term potential with both their ages and years of club control remaining. Toronto still should have addressed their bullpen with a signing or trade in the offseason, but there’s no sense living in the past. 2016 is a different story thoug. With any freed up payroll after an ace is brought aboard, a late innings guy should their second highest priority to invest in.
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Stroman was a huge loss for the Blue Jays this season. He has a number of plus pitches to keep hitters guessing. Jeff Sullivan over at FanGraphs finds that Stroman’s stuff reminds him of Roy Halladay. The stout right-hander was unequivocally their biggest loss in 2015, position players included. If Norris or Sanchez can progress towards being a solid No. 3 starter by 2016, Stroman would be a strong sidekick to any potential ace the Jays could land in free agency. On paper, rounding out your rotation with Hutchison suddenly doesn’t feel all that shabby.
Toronto Blue Jays fans are longing for a time when their club can be buyers at the trade deadline. Don’t throw thatout possibility for 2015. But for as much promise as the club holds offensively this season, their pitching, and thus defense, has the opportunity to be all the more formidable in 2016 against AL East foes. Overall, the Blue Jays should be more well-rounded and experienced once the calendar turns over again.