The future looks so bright you would have to wear shades when the roof is closed at Rogers Centre. A lot of offence and little pitching is already the forecast for the 2020 Toronto Blue Jays.
We saw the debut of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette. We saw Lourdes Gurriel Jr. move to the outfield. Kevin Pillar, Kendrys Morales, Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Joe Biagini, and Freddy Galvis were among the many veteran Blue Jays who found homes in U.S.-based ballparks.
The 2019 Blue Jays finished in 4th place at 67-95, 36 games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. The Blue Jays were 35-46 at home while 32-49 on the road. The 2018 version finished with a 73-89 record, 35 games out in 4th place in the AL East.
The Toronto Blue Jays have secured the 5th overall selection in the upcoming 2020 amateur draft.
Guerrero, Jr. attracted attention with his 91 home runs in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby in Cleveland. He was the fourth Canadian-born player to participate in the home run derby along with Larry Walker, Jason Bay, and Justin Morneau.
Guerrero Jr. has said he will try to lose 15-20 pounds in the offseason. That would be intriguing to see the impact if that works out well.
Roy Halladay officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
2019 Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Game preview
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. brings a lot of excitement to Toronto Blue Jays
Trade deadline was sad for the Blue Jays for who they didn't trade (Ken Giles, Justin Smoak, Freddy Galvis) as who they did trade (Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Joe Biagini). The Houston trade for Derek Fisher felt lopsided when the trade was announced ("Derek Fisher and who else?"). The fact that Sanchez and Biagini combined with 2 other pitchers on a no-hitter in their first appearance for Houston as well as Fisher getting hit in the face with a fly ball did not add to the appearance of the trade.
Sanchez did undergo season-ending shoulder surgery early in September. Sanchez finished his brief Houston 2019 tenure with a 2-0 record and a 4.82 ERA.
Speaking of no-hitters, Justin Verlander became the first pitcher ever to pitch a pair of no-hitters in the same visiting ballpark, Rogers Centre in Toronto. Verlander struck out 14 Blue Jays for the 2-0 no-hitter on September 1. He also threw a no-hitter at Rogers Centre in 2011 with Detroit. Canadian-born rookie Abraham Toro hit a 2-out, 2-run homer in the 9th inning off Ken Giles for the entire offense in Verlander's latest no-hitter.
Anthony Kay, the primary return in the Stroman deal, is being introduced to Canada since he hadn't been outside the United States before the trade.
2019 Toronto Blue Jays season preview
The Blue Jays traded Freddy Galvis to Cincinnati to open up some playing time for Bo Bichette, among others. Galvis got off to a good start for the Reds.
Bo Bichette got off to a tremendous start and gave the Jays something they truly haven't had in years: a quality lead-off hitter. Cavan Biggio hitting for the cycle. He didn't get the accolades of Guerrero, Jr. but had a very good rookie season.
The team will also have to address veteran leadership in the offseason. Justin Smoak is likely to be gone. Ken Giles could get dealt in the offseason. Billy McKinney might seem old to the rookies but he isn't.
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Though we are a couple of months away from the horrendous trade deadline activity by the Blue Jays, there is the haunting fear that Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro didn't want to get good talent back for players that they inherited.
Kevin Pillar hit over 20 home runs for the San Francisco Giants after Toronto traded the centre fielder for reliever Derek Law, utility man Alen Hanson, and pitching prospect Juan De Paula. There is still time for the deal to work out for the Blue Jays. Hanson played for a month in the big leagues, went to Buffalo in early May, and was released by the organisation on August 3.
Shapiro specifically mentions the Cliff Lee deal when he was in charge in Cleveland. He pointed to the outcry from fans about trading Lee. That deal with Philadelphia brought back 4 prospects (Lee, like Stroman had another year of control).
Let's look at how Shapiro got Cliff Lee in the first place. Shapiro traded starting pitcher Bartolo Colon and minor league pitcher Tim Drew to the Montréal Expos for first baseman Lee Stevens and a trio of prospects: Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Grady Sizemore.
Montréal was in a really bad situation but Shapiro took advantage and acquired tremendous talent in return. Not every deal will be that good. We know Shapiro is capable of making that type of a deal. Will Toronto fans see the benefit of a trade such as that one?
Celebrating Montreal Expos legacy in Washington, DC
Toronto Blue Jays help celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Montreal Expos
The 50-year anniversary of the introduction of the Montréal Expos got some love in Montréal and the U.S. capital in Washington with a nod from Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL.
2019 brought the 6th different opponent to play the Toronto Blue Jays in preseason games in Olympic Stadium. The current Washington Nationals put on the powder blue road uniforms for a home game at Nationals Park. The opponent was a 1969 expansion team, the Kansas City Royals.
The year also brought talk of splitting the Tampa Bay Rays season with game in Montréal. Moving the Rays to Montréal would make too much sense. Tropicana Field, the worst MLB facility, has a lease through 2027 season. That would give plenty of time for Montréal to build a new downtown stadium in Griffintown.
MLB forced the Expos to play 22 games in San Juan for the last 2 seasons in 2003 and 2004. The Expos had to go at one point from San Juan to Seattle on a road trip.
Montréal deserves a full-time team playing in a downtown stadium.
Mike Soroka (Calgary) finished with a 13-4 record for Atlanta with 142 strikeouts in 29 starts with a 2.68 ERA.
Soroka will get consideration for the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year. Ferguson Jenkins and Eric Gagne are the only Canadian hurlers to win the Cy Young Award for best pitcher.
photos credit: Topps; Rogers Sportsnet/Toronto Blue Jays; MASN/MLB