<p class="p1">We’re back to business in Blue Jays land. And by business, I mean underwhelming baseball in winnable scenarios. Thanks to two off-days and some inclement weather, Toronto has played just three games this week, going 1-2, including an icky loss to the Orioles Wednesday in a very winnable scenario.</p>
<p class="p1">Things are bad, but not all bad. Here are five thoughts on the Blue Jays’ latest stretch.</p>
<p></p>
<h2 class="p1">Still no answer atop the lineup</h2>
<p class="p1">I’m not a firm believer that guys can be way better or way worse in a particular spot in the lineup. At the end of the day, you’re only the leadoff guy or the clean-up man once per game! That said, you know it’s best to get your top hitters more at-bats, whether you’re a baseball savant or not.</p>
<p class="p1">George Springer is not one of Toronto’s best hitters right now. He should not be batting lead-off. Davis Schneider, while struggling of late, still deserves a crack at the spot on days when both he and Springer are active. There’s no perfect science because the Jays’ top hitters have yet to fire in sync, but I’d like to see Danny Jansen hiked up, too.</p>
<h2 class="p1">Vladdy is heating up</h2>
<p class="p1">I was at Rogers Centre this weekend, and I can confirm Guerrero’s abilities are slowly returning, albeit with certain limitations. Vladdy is an exit velo hero; he always has been, and his 94-mph average exit velo ranks ninth in MLB. But I’m seeing way more barrels from Vlad, and every swing this weekend seemed to generate a 100-mph+ result, for better or worse. He’s only crushing singles, but it’s just a matter of time before he adds some elevation to his game.</p>
<h2 class="p1">Bo’s at-bats improving, too</h2>
<p class="p1">Speaking of gradual glow-ups, let’s not forget Bichette. Quietly the Blue Jays’ most disappointing hitter through the first eight weeks of the year, the 26-year-old has 10 hits in his last six games and four RBIs, all good for a 1.109 OPS.</p>
<p class="p1">While it’s too early to crown Bo the king of redemption, all signs point to the Jays shortstop jacking his numbers toward career norms very soon. Toronto needs it, too, as Justin Turner and Schneider are trending in the wrong direction after very hot starts.</p>
<h2 class="p1">Jordan Romano is who he is</h2>
<p class="p1">Romano blew his first save Wednesday in back-breaking fashion, allowing a game-winning two-run bomb to Adley Rutschman that flipped the lead and sent the Jays reeling on their flight home to Toronto. It was a real shame in such a hard-fought game.</p>
<p class="p1">Here’s the truth: this is who Romano is. There aren’t many command closers in baseball these days. Instead, ninth-inning men rely entirely on stuff, and when that fails, yikes. Romano is a two-pitch guy, and when his fastball has less sizzle or his slider backs up, teams are going to crank him. So far, he’s been less sharp than usual, allowing 12 hits and six earned runs (5.06 ERA) in 11 appearances.</p>
<p class="p1">Every day is a mystery with Romano, at least for now.</p>
<h2 class="p1">Should the Blue Jays sell?</h2>
<p class="p1">Should the Jays trade assets to retool their farm system? Probably. But there are too many hurdles for Toronto to do it this season. For starters, the front office won’t want to admit failure. Attendance is already down this year, and trading a star or two and continuing the losing charade certainly won’t help the bottom line.</p>
<p class="p1">Beyond that, the Jays simply don’t have that many pieces to sell. And the guys they’d be likely to trade – Kevin Kiermaier, Turner, Jansen, Yusei Kikuchi, etc. – won’t command roster-altering returns. If Toronto really wants to blow things up, it’ll trade one of Vlad or Bo, but we’re just not at that point yet.</p>

<p class="p1">We’re back to business in Blue Jays land. And by business, I mean underwhelming baseball in winnable scenarios. Thanks to two off-days and some inclement weather, Toronto has played just three games this week, going 1-2, including an icky loss to the Orioles Wednesday in a very winnable scenario.</p>
<p class="p1">Things are bad, but not all bad. Here are five thoughts on the Blue Jays’ latest stretch.</p>

<h2 class="p1">Still no answer atop the lineup</h2>
<p class="p1">I’m not a firm believer that guys can be way better or way worse in a particular spot in the lineup. At the end of the day, you’re only the leadoff guy or the clean-up man once per game! That said, you know it’s best to get your top hitters more at-bats, whether you’re a baseball savant or not.</p>
<p class="p1">George Springer is not one of Toronto’s best hitters right now. He should not be batting lead-off. Davis Schneider, while struggling of late, still deserves a crack at the spot on days when both he and Springer are active. There’s no perfect science because the Jays’ top hitters have yet to fire in sync, but I’d like to see Danny Jansen hiked up, too.</p>

<h2 class="p1">Vladdy is heating up</h2>
<p class="p1">I was at Rogers Centre this weekend, and I can confirm Guerrero’s abilities are slowly returning, albeit with certain limitations. Vladdy is an exit velo hero; he always has been, and his 94-mph average exit velo ranks ninth in MLB. But I’m seeing way more barrels from Vlad, and every swing this weekend seemed to generate a 100-mph+ result, for better or worse. He’s only crushing singles, but it’s just a matter of time before he adds some elevation to his game.</p>

<h2 class="p1">Bo’s at-bats improving, too</h2>
<p class="p1">Speaking of gradual glow-ups, let’s not forget Bichette. Quietly the Blue Jays’ most disappointing hitter through the first eight weeks of the year, the 26-year-old has 10 hits in his last six games and four RBIs, all good for a 1.109 OPS.</p>
<p class="p1">While it’s too early to crown Bo the king of redemption, all signs point to the Jays shortstop jacking his numbers toward career norms very soon. Toronto needs it, too, as Justin Turner and Schneider are trending in the wrong direction after very hot starts.</p>

<h2 class="p1">Jordan Romano is who he is</h2>
<p class="p1">Romano blew his first save Wednesday in back-breaking fashion, allowing a game-winning two-run bomb to Adley Rutschman that flipped the lead and sent the Jays reeling on their flight home to Toronto. It was a real shame in such a hard-fought game.</p>
<p class="p1">Here’s the truth: this is who Romano is. There aren’t many command closers in baseball these days. Instead, ninth-inning men rely entirely on stuff, and when that fails, yikes. Romano is a two-pitch guy, and when his fastball has less sizzle or his slider backs up, teams are going to crank him. So far, he’s been less sharp than usual, allowing 12 hits and six earned runs (5.06 ERA) in 11 appearances.</p>
<p class="p1">Every day is a mystery with Romano, at least for now.</p>

<h2 class="p1">Should the Blue Jays sell?</h2>
<p class="p1">Should the Jays trade assets to retool their farm system? Probably. But there are too many hurdles for Toronto to do it this season. For starters, the front office won’t want to admit failure. Attendance is already down this year, and trading a star or two and continuing the losing charade certainly won’t help the bottom line.</p>
<p class="p1">Beyond that, the Jays simply don’t have that many pieces to sell. And the guys they’d be likely to trade – Kevin Kiermaier, Turner, Jansen, Yusei Kikuchi, etc. – won’t command roster-altering returns. If Toronto really wants to blow things up, it’ll trade one of Vlad or Bo, but we’re just not at that point yet.</p>

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Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates with first baseman Spencer Horwitz (48) after hitting a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Rogers Centre.

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