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This new era for the Blue Jays will see its fair share of ups and downs
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Photo credit: © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Veronica Chung
Aug 6, 2024, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 6, 2024, 08:10 EDT
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There used to be a time when everyone tuned into every Toronto Blue Jays game.
That was around eight or nine years ago when the team’s lineup was one of the most formidable in the league with the trio of Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Edward Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki. There was something different about that team and something indescribably special about that group – they were meant to play meaningful games.
Fast forward to 2024, the Blue Jays have now traded away some of their better players and are no longer aiming for October baseball. It’s not something this team has quite envisioned for this year nor has it gone as planned.
As Toronto lost more winnable games over the course of the first couple of months, they became a reluctant and inevitable seller at the deadline to take a step back and reassess. When August rolled in, there was no question that the Blue Jays were going to be a much worse team after parting with talents like starting pitcher reliever Yimi García, Yusei Kikuchi and designated hitter Justin Turner. The Jays’ bullpen was already at the bottom of the league in run prevention and that record was about to get worse. Their lineup and pitching were also bound to take a hit in many aspects with less proven talents all around on top of injuries. 
The Blue Jays were bound to collect more losses as they prepared to face the mighty Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees as the team went through a significant roster church at the end of July. The Orioles continued to pummel every pitch from a seriously depleted Blue Jays’ pitching throughout the four-game series in Baltimore. They even brought up their top prospect, Jackson Holliday, as he finally broke out and added more excitement to the team. The fact that Toronto was leaving Baltimore with one game win was already a miracle on its own given the rather hopeless state of the team. 
Heading to the Bronx, things weren’t going to get much better for the Blue Jays. While the New York Yankees were going through a rougher stretch with a losing record of their own, their status as a legitimate contender hasn’t faded one bit. The team had built up enough cushion by winning more games earlier on in the season and they have fought against the Orioles to secure the division lead for some time. With the division battle on the line, New York had to return to their winning ways to threaten Baltimore and escape the microscope of a critical fanbase and media. 
Even after the trade deadline, the Yankees certainly had flaws that they had to overcome. But without much addition at the trade deadline, the team was back to relying on outfielders Aaron Judge and Juan Soto’s performances while hoping for pitching and the rest of the team’s offence to play out of their minds. If the Blue Jays could take advantage of some of the Yankees’ apparent weaknesses, there was a way to come out with a possible series win in New York. But alas, a series win was never in the cards for the ailing Blue Jays.
To Toronto’s credit, the team made it difficult for New York to claim wins for most of the three-game series. The Blue Jays took advantage of struggling Yankees’ starting pitcher Marcus Stroman and challenged starting pitcher Gerrit Cole as he grappled with his outing. However, New York’s overall roster had the upper hand with more firepower. 
In the end, the Yankees were built to win despite the criticism and questions. The Blue Jays were simply not built for playoffs or a winning record this time around. That’s the difference as both teams were in a nail-biter for the last game of the series in Bronx. When New York’s infielder DJ LeMahieu walked off the game on Sunday, it showed all the cracks Toronto needed to address as they look for a comeback next year.
With nothing left to play for, the Blue Jays no longer face the pressure to live up to the expectations. To be fair, the great expectations have done more harm for the Blue Jays over the past few years than good. Toronto was called a paper tiger on multiple occasions and turned into a punchline each time they failed to advance through the playoffs. 
Now, the team will finally get a break from the never-ending scrutiny while it figures out the next steps. This is the best time for the team to try things and see what sticks without facing much backlash. This is also a time when younger and unproven players can play to find out what they are capable of without the constant pressure to contribute to a playoff team. 
By creating an environment where more players can showcase themselves, the Blue Jays can finally give space for each and every player to go through trials and errors without garnering much attention. In other words, this is now a safer environment for players to fail, learn and grow. Being out of contention can be an agonizing experience, but it can still do a load of good as long as the team uses that time to find out what works and what doesn’t. 
There will be more excruciating losses for the Blue Jays along the way as time goes on this season. Nevertheless, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s the end of their story. Patience doesn’t come easy in darker times like this, but it’s time to trust the process Toronto committed to. That’s the season the Blue Jays are in.

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