There was no surprise when ESPN reporter Jeff Passan broke the news that the Seattle Mariners acquired Toronto Blue Jays’ relief pitcher Yimi Garcia. The writing on the wall became clearer when Toronto’s fate slowly kept sliding down with each agonizing loss. The Blue Jays had to face their destiny as a seller at the deadline, and things wouldn’t exactly look pretty for this team. 
The harsh truth was that the Blue Jays were continuing their hopeless descent toward the bottom of the league when the Tampa Bay Rays came to town. There was a glimmer of hope that Toronto had a slight edge at home against the struggling Rays before the American League (AL) East division rival series started. However, the last ounce of optimism was snuffed out quickly when Tampa successfully established its dominance in pitching against Toronto. As the Blue Jays’ offence grappled with the idea of scoring, the Rays handily won the first game of the series with the score of 4-2. 
Thankfully for Toronto, the second game against Tampa Bay allowed a chance at redemption. While there was a general lack of power other than first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s home run to the left centre field, the Blue Jays demonstrated their abilities to take advantage of each pitch and error. After singling the Rays to death, the Blue Jays could finally secure a hard-fought win rather convincingly. With a 6-3 win, Toronto displayed one of the better versions of itself and even showcased the potential in the lineup. 
If this were any other season other than the lost seasons, the Blue Jays would have carried that winning momentum right into the next game. Alas, these were the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays. They have been nothing but volatile, unpredictable and egregiously frustrating at times, and that wasn’t changing any time soon. Without much luck or fuel left in the tank, Toronto helplessly floundered throughout the last game of the three-game series as the Rays’ promising starting pitcher Taj Bradley silenced its offence. 
Perhaps, the worst part about this particular game was the Blue Jays’ inability to provide any form of run prevention. Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt wasn’t having his best day as he gave up three earned runs but relief pitchers Trevor Richards and Aaron Burr were having worse days, unfortunately. Two pitchers each surrendered four earned runs and even relief pitcher Nate Pearson gave up one earned run. All these runs eventually accumulated to 13 runs for the Rays and there simply wasn’t much the Blue Jays could do when their offence stumbled right out of the gate. 
Just like that, the Blue Jays’ stand against the Rays became a big blunder sentenced to eternal oblivion. Toronto’s win-loss record against Tampa Bay now stood 4-6 for this season, and the team sank deeper into the basement of the AL East division. But things weren’t going to get any easier for the faltering Blue Jays with the World Series winner Texas Rangers visiting Rogers Centre. The Rangers weren’t quite the menace they were in 2023, yet there was no denying that they were the better team on paper compared to the Blue Jays. This was already going to be an ordeal in Toronto’s way as the team limped toward the trade deadline. 
Blue Jay’ starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi showed some signs of struggle right away as the first game against the Rangers began but fared somewhat well throughout his outing. Fortunately for Kikuchi, Toronto’s offence came alive and eclipsed his struggles quickly. The lineup drained Texas’ starting pitcher Andrew Heaney by punishing his mistakes instantly but its production soon tapered off as Heaney gradually found his footing. 
As Toronto’s offence failed to provide more cushion, its pitching woes resurfaced as Kikuchi gave up a total of five runs against Texas until the game tied with a score of 5-5. This wasn’t anything new – the Blue Jays’ pitching was no longer the most formidable in the league after many injuries and regression. Run-prevention failure was almost inevitable for this iteration of the Blue Jays and it was just a part of the game at this point. Any other version of the Blue Jays may have easily overcome the tie game with one swing, but the 2024 Blue Jays weren’t going to solve the problem with home runs. This was a team that depended on small balls; they needed it badly to get back to good vibes once again. 
When the bottom of the ninth began, things looked bleak for the Blue Jays as right fielder George Springer struck out. Designated hitter Justin Turner singled to give some hope, but catcher Danny Jansen quickly struck out as the Rangers brought in new close Kirby Yates from their bullpen. To get the last out and give Texas a fighting chance, Yates intentionally walked second baseman Spencer Horwitz and chose to face third baseman Ernie Clement instead. That decision proved to be costly for Yates and the Rangers when Clement hit a line drive single toward left fielder Wyatt Langford. That’s how the Blue Jays dramatically claimed the first game against their bitter rival and set the tone for the series. 
Before this series started, the Rangers’ goal was to close the gap for the American League West division to threaten both the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. Had Texas won Friday’s game against Toronto, it would have closed the division lead gap to one-and-a-half games and would have posed more threat to its division rivals. Instead, the Blue Jays played the perfect spoiler for the Rangers and have effectively become a sore obstacle for a potential contender.
As the days go by, the Blue Jays will trade away more players to contending teams up until July 30. Eyeing for more game wins is always the goal but with thinner talents on its major league roster, Toronto will struggle through the season even more. That said, the Blue Jays truly have nothing to lose as they accept their fate as a seller. As cruel as it sounds, this is the time for the team to mess with other contenders’ destiny. This is also the time for the team to give younger or untested players more time to prove themselves. 
Things weren’t pretty already and it’s about to get uglier for the Blue Jays, especially after the trade deadline. But taking the steps back now will result in better things down the road. For now, this is the time for the team to let the remaining players figure it out. Who knows, that’s how you find delight and surprises along the way.