Blue Jays second-half storylines to watch: Difficult trade decisions ahead (2024)

The second half of the Toronto Blue Jays season will be about looking ahead to the future.

Toronto’s losing record at the All-Star break means they’re out of contention and they’ll be playing out the string. But there will be periods of intrigue, of course.

The Blue Jays are poised to be a central seller at this month’s trade deadline as they look to trade players like Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Turner, Kevin Kiermaier and more.

While the results of the games won’t matter much, there will be individual motivations at stake, especially for young players like Spencer Horwitz, Davis Schneider and Leo Jiménez, who will look to make the most of their playing time to prove they can be a part of the club moving forward.

And, naturally, when a season goes as sideways as the Blue Jays’ season has, jobs will be at stake.

On that note, let’s look at three storylines for the second half.

Who will the Blue Jays trade at the deadline?

It’s a foregone conclusion the Blue Jays will sell at the deadline.

However, after this disastrous season, the team will likely want to retool quickly and make a push again next season. That means it’s unlikely the Blue Jays will trade either Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, who remain under team control through 2025.

The Blue Jays will undoubtedly look to move players scheduled to become free agents after the season, including Kikuchi, reliever Yimi García and position players Turner, Kiermaier and Danny Jansen. With pitching always at a premium at the deadline, both Kikuchi and García (assuming he returns from the IL on Friday) should attract suitors, while Turner and Kiermaier have valuable playoff experience a contender may covet.

However, rentals won’t net the Blue Jays a huge return. If they do want to start building towards the future — even the near future in 2025 — moving a controllable player or two could assist with that. Starter Chris Bassitt, signed through 2025 when he’s due to make $22 million, is having another strong season. With his durability and playoff experience, he could be an attractive trade candidate who would net a decent return. Reliever Chad Green, signed through next season for $10.5 million, is another controllable arm Toronto could look to move to increase their haul.

Of course, Guerrero and (even a slumping) Bichette would net the biggest returns, but it seems unlikely the Blue Jays will want to punt on next season, considering the millions invested in the stadium and roster recently.

Which prospects will be showcased in the second half?

If there is anything to look forward to in the second half, it’s seeing prospects earn opportunities with the major-league club. Except, because of injuries, the Blue Jays may not have many players to call upon.

The prime candidate would have been top prospect Ricky Tiedemann, but his health status is unclear after the left-hander experienced another injury setback in his last start in Triple A. The priority will be for Tiedemann to get healthy first and then get some more innings under him before considering a potential call-up. Left-hander Adam Macko, having a good season in Double A, is also injured, which puts a snag in his progression to the majors.

The Blue Jays have already seen Horwitz and Jiménez make smooth transitions to the majors, and they could earn more playing time in the final two months if the club moves on from some veterans.

Who else could the Blue Jays call up? Addison Barger could make another appearance, especially if the Blue Jays trade Kiermaier. In that same scenario, Steward Berroa could also gain more playing time.

Orelvis Martinez, who was suspended 80 games for violating MLB’s PED policy, will be eligible to return for the Blue Jay’s final homestand, though it is unclear if the club would bring him back for those last six games.

What will be the repercussions of the disappointing 2024 season?

The Blue Jays came into this season with a franchise-record payroll and more than $300 million poured into recent Rogers Centre renovations. The expectations were for the club to compete as one of the best in the American League and push for their first AL East division title since 2015.

Instead, the Blue Jays are on pace to win 74 games, miss the postseason and finish last in the division. Pro sports is a winning business and typically, when a club disappoints this badly, it means people at the top lose their jobs. As the season closes, who will have to answer — and perhaps pay — for the Blue Jays’ disappointing result?

The leading candidates are club president Mark Shapiro, general manager Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider. All three have come under scrutiny from fans this season, though perhaps no one more so than Atkins, who has been in the GM role since December 2015.

Atkins is signed through 2026. Last year, after the Blue Jays were swept out of the postseason by the Minnesota Twins in self-inflicted and controversial fashion, Shapiro defended the job Atkins had done. “Ross needs to get better, but he has done a good job,” the club president said.

Since the 2016 season, Atkins has built four playoff clubs, though the team is 0-6 in their last three postseason appearances, having been swept from the wild-card round in all three of the years that the Bichette-Guerrero led teams made the postseason.

Shapiro and Atkins have been a tight tandem since they moved to Toronto from Cleveland in 2015, but with the rising frustration levied at the club, there are loud calls from the fan base that changes need to be made. Ultimately, Rogers Communications ownership will have a hand in deciding whether Shapiro, Atkins or both need to be replaced. If a new GM or president comes in, the question becomes, do they want to hire their own manager? Schneider is signed through 2025 with a team option for 2026, but his status could be up in the air if there are changes at the top.

It’s all to say, even if the Blue Jays are playing out the string of meaningless games, there could be a dramatic conclusion to their season.

(Top photos of Guerrero and Atkins: Sergio Estrada, Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)

Kaitlyn McGrath is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the Toronto Blue Jays. Previously, she worked at the National Post and CBC. Follow Kaitlyn on Twitter @kaitlyncmcgrath