Blue Jays Manager John Schneider Describes Trade Deadline Plans With One Word
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There isn't enough time in the day to explain how this season has gone for any team in the American League, especially the Toronto Blue Jays, who came inches from winning their first World Series in over three decades last November.
Going into Friday night action, only six teams in the AL are above .500, one of which is not the Blue Jays, who are staring up at the rest of the AL East as they firmly sit in last place in the division. That being said, one would assume that this ballclub will be sellers when the trade deadline officially comes on Monday.
Well, not necessarily, according to their skipper, as Toronto's MLB.com reporter, Keegan Matheson, spoke with John Schneider regarding the team's deadline plans, and Schneider stated that those are "murky" at this point.
Schneider then goes on to state that he has not been told by anyone above him in the organization that the Jays are planning on being sellers despite the team sitting nine games under .500 going into their series opener with the St. Louis Cardinals.
However, while that game deficit is more than just an eyesore to look at, Toronto is 5.5 games back in the wild-card race, seemingly because they are not the only ones in the league struggling to win baseball games this season.
What Has To Happen for the Blue Jays To Be Buyers
Well, first and foremost, they need to win the series against the Cardinals in a sweeping fashion. That would be ideal, because if they don't add to the win column, then their fate is sealed. It has been a rough year to say the least, but the Jays still have some control over their destiny.
It definitely helps that the top of the rotation is back due up, which means Dylan Cease is ready to set the tone as he continues his Cy Young campaign. But they will need more than just Cease to take back a chance.
Unfortunately when a team finds itself in a spot like what Toronto is in, they will need some help from others this weekend, as key teams need to take losses, as there are multiple teams gunning for that bottom wild card spot.
The Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins are both in the hunt and facing off, but ultimately it would do the Jays more good if the Mariners, who are further out, took some L's, as they ultimately would be further behind than the Blue Jays if they are swept.
Then, there is the Cleveland Guardians who sit firmly in the final spot into the postseason, and any defeat that goes on their record does the Jays good.
There are quite a few teams in the hunt, and while a sweep of the Cardinals doesn't guarantee the Blue Jays as buyers by any means, it will definitely help their cause if there is any chance at saving this season.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.