Five Blue Jays Thoughts: More lineup changes to come, a wild Vladdy trade proposal, and more

Last week, the Blue Jays were plodding along at an average pace. Flash forward seven days, and Toronto is last in the AL East, cancelling out any offence the club generates with calamitous bullpen collapses.

There have been plenty of disasters in the Blue Jays’ world this year. Let’s sift through the rubble. Here are five thoughts on Toronto’s temperamental stretch.

Erik Swanson’s sad splitter

Two-pitch pitchers go through funky stretches. Sometimes, the specialty pitch isn’t as crisp, or the command is off, and hitters unload. We’ve seen it with Kevin Gausman. Erik Swanson has struggled before, too. But this is something new.

The right-hander has a 16.50 ERA in eight appearances. He’s allowed 11 earned runs on 13 hits (including four homers) through six innings of work. Opponents are somehow slugging 1.222 against his splitter. Swanson has lost his eighth-inning job, but he could be relegated to mop-up duty if he has one more disastrous outing.

Next time Swanson enters out of the ‘pen, keep a close eye on his splitter. How is the velocity? What kinds of swings does it produce? That will determine his effectiveness.

More lineup changes to come

Jays manager John Schneider isn’t the only one who decides the club’s batting order. He should have the final say, but it’s unclear if that’s the case, as this Jays staff often operates by committee, with a heavy emphasis on matchups. At the same time, the Jays are reluctant to shuffle things up, as Schneider often favours keeping guys comfortable in a certain spot.

It’s time for something new. There’s no longer enough evidence to suggest Blue Jays hitters will play to their potential. Moving Bo Bichette (.530 OPS) down was a good call. Let’s do George Springer next (.582 OPS). Davis Schneider is a good option to lead off, as is Ernie Clement, who possesses excellent contact abilities.

The season’s sand timer isn’t finished, but grains are escaping. The Blue Jays ought to try something radical, if only for a little while.

John Schneider defends Alek Manoah

Schneider reiterated his faith in Alek Manoah after the right-hander allowed six earned runs in four innings Sunday versus the Nationals. The Jays skipper lauded Manoah’s stuff – the heater was alright – and stated he had no plans to remove the 26-year-old from the rotation.

The cognitive dissonance is real. In my mind, one cannot get rocked and still have good stuff, especially if said pitcher has been spanked by opposing hitters for basically a calendar year. While Manoah punched out six Nats hitters, he surrendered two homers on his sloppy slider, a pitch damned by both poor command and a lack of bite.

If Toronto had anyone better, this would be a big controversy. But the Jays don’t, so buckle in for another torture session when Manoah starts next weekend.

I’m sorry. Aaron Sanchez?

The Blue Jays have added some pitching depth by signing Aaron Sanchez to a minor-league deal, reported Jaime Campbell of Sportsnet. The 31-year-old will reportedly travel to Buffalo and ramp up for some much-needed pitching depth.

It’s been a ragged road for the former first-round pick since he departed Toronto. Sanchez was brilliant in 2016, when he won 15 games and posted a 3.00 ERA, earning him AL Cy Young votes and an All-Star berth. He’s been dreadful since then, battling through injuries and diminished velocity to post a 5.29 ERA in 367.2 innings from 2017 to 2022.

I have no idea how he helps the 2024 Blue Jays. Expect very little from this addition.

A wild Vladdy trade proposal

A media colleague of mine mentioned how one radio caller suggested (rather wildly) that the Blue Jays should trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for Josh Naylor, straight up. And honestly, I don’t hate it.

This would’ve been outlandish in 2021, but now it doesn’t seem so crazy. Naylor, like Guerrero, is a free agent at the end of 2025. The Mississauga native is also a left-handed hitter, something the Jays desperately need.

Allow me to compare their numbers since the start of 2022:

• Naylor: 276 games, 45 HRs, 202 RBIs, .281/.339/.478
• Guerrero: 351 games, 62 HRs, 206 RBIs, .266/.341/.453

Not so lopsided now, huh?