That experience carried over to 2022, and with less than 24 hours remaining before the Aug. 2 trade deadline, they had the top wild card seed at 57-45, with a 97.2 percent playoff chance according to Fangraphs . The year-to-year difference is clear in defensive center George Springer and highlights why this team has earned more additions. “This year we understand what it takes to get there and we expect to be there,” Springer says. “Last year it was let’s enjoy this ride and see what happens. Obviously, that’s when we got Jose. He was incredible for us. I know he would say he had his ups and downs, but that’s the game. I just think we’re in a very different place mentally as a team as opposed to saying, well, it would be great to get there. We expect to be there. This is the biggest change.” How that will affect the Blue Jays’ thinking in the final hours before the cutoff is unclear. While opponents like the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays have made additions to try to change their field position, the Blue Jays have yet to strike. The expectation remains that they will, with an emphasis on adding pitching, according to industry sources. They are believed to have the ability and financial capacity for major moves. One of those sources believes the Blue Jays were “neck-tie,” with the Yankees for right-hander Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino. The inclusion of pitching prospects Ken Waldichuk and Luis Medina, ranked Nos. 5 and 9 in their system by Baseball America, likely tipped the scales in New York’s favor. The deal was the third by the Yankees, who at 69-34 have an 11.5-game lead over the Blue Jays in the American League East and are eyeing the World Series. Before the deal, FanGraphs odds of going all the way were 13.1 percent, trailing the Dodgers (17.3 percent), Astros (15.9 percent) and Mets (14.5 percent). Atlanta was next at 11.6 percent, followed by the Blue Jays at 6.8 percent, and while a few deals won’t necessarily change that dramatically, more important is this question: how often will they get these kinds of opportunities in front of them ; The Blue Jays, as always, intend to keep an eye on the future while chasing the present, but the key is knowing their prospects well and making sure they don’t trade the wrong ones. Acknowledging that accurately isn’t easy as two years ago, no one would have dared to part with Nate Pearson, but now, with the right-hander’s injuries and bad luck, it’s a different story. Getting a deal done without sacrificing their best bits is the challenge and perhaps one reason why nothing has happened yet. However, there is a danger of overemphasizing future potential at the expense of today’s impact. The bullpen is an obvious area of need, and the Blue Jays could also use starting depth. They are believed to like David Robertson’s mix of experience and stuff, and as a rental he fits into their comfort zone. Stealing him from the Chicago Cubs is the challenge. A more complicated matchup is with the Detroit Tigers, and speculation leading up to it was that some of their players would end up crossing over to the Blue Jays side this weekend. Their motivation is clear, concluding that what they did this year didn’t work and if nothing changes, well, nothing changes. But at the same time, unlike loanee Michael Fulmer, who is on the Blue Jays’ radar, dealing extended periods of contract control like Joe Jimenez, Gregory Soto, Alex Lange or Will Vest could leave them they are looking for replacements. the road. This recent depiction of trade talks by Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black reflects the dilemma facing the Tigers: “Hey, you’ve got a Range Rover. We’ll take your Range Rover and give you our Honda Accord.” And teams expect you to do that,” Black said. “Why do this? “How could you not trade in your Range Rover?” Why might we try to keep our Range Rover instead of trading it in for your Subaru.” The bottom line is that for the Blue Jays to get more than a rental, they’re going to have to make an impact on the other side. Did the Luis Castillo deal create an inflationary effect so severe that they won’t pay current prices? Are they just waiting to see who blinks first to get the deal they want? All the Blue Jays players can do is wait and see what happens. Springer remembers the deadline adds to the Astros being built normally and the push they provided. “They’re huge,” he says. “Whoever comes in, whoever it is, I’m sure we’ve either crossed paths as a team before or know what they can do. But at the same time, I think every man in this room is absolutely satisfied and extremely happy with the guys we have in here. This is a playoff team as of now. That’s what we believe. Whoever is brought in, whether it’s now or not, we’ll embrace it and continue to have the same mindset.” In case nothing happens, that’s the right thing to do, but for the front office, it would be wrong.
