Post All-Star Break Burning Questions for the Blue Jays
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The All-Star break brings a rare opportunity to pause, reset and reflect amidst a busy MLB season. For the Toronto Blue Jays, that reflection isn't entirely positive at this juncture.
Despite having four players (Ernie Clement, Louis Varland, an absent Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and American League starter Dylan Cease) and manager John Schneider representing the club at the mid-summer classic, the Blue Jays have under-performed coming off of their 2025 World Series journey and, at 45-51, currently sit in the AL East basement and risk missing the postseason.
It's no surprise, then, that Toronto faces plenty of difficult questions with a few weeks remaining before the MLB trade deadline and 66 games left to turn their 2026 season around.
Should the Blue Jays Be Buyers or Sellers at the Trade Deadline?
The Blue Jays' struggles have clouded what seemed to be a clear trade deadline approach just a few months ago. The team has already been linked to the likes of Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara in anticipation that they'd ramp up for another shot at World Series glory. Now, things are far more complicated for president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins.
If they remain in win-now mode, they risk sacrificing future assets for a roster that simply isn't ready to win this year. If they become sellers and look to extract value from an impressive group of pending free agents (Kevin Gausman, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Shane Bieber and others), they are effectively punting on a season in which they remain a mere 2.5 games back in the wild card race and could also be closing their contention window.
Not only does Toronto's front office need to make what will surely be a difficult decision (sitting idle doesn't help anyone), but they need to make it soon. Barring some unforeseen surge in one direction or the other, the team's performance isn't likely to give management a clear directive between now and August 3.
What Can the Blue Jays Expect From Guerrero Jr.?
If someone told you before the season started that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would enter the All-Star break with six home runs (eighth on the team) and a .703 OPS, you likely would have laughed them off in a hurry. Now, no one is laughing.
Guerrero Jr. is on track for career-worsts across the board in what is the first year of his 14-year, $500 million mega-deal. This development has been nothing short of shocking for those who witnessed his playoff explosion last fall (.397/.494/1.289 with eight home runs in 18 games).
Any chance of a Blue Jays' postseason return relies on a big bounce back from their 27-year-old star slugger. Guerrero Jr. has managed to turn a .498 OPS in June into a .773 mark in July, but the reigning ALCS MVP has also offered other brief teases of breaking out this season.
Can Anyone Not Named Cease Provide Innings?
Cease has come as advertised after signing a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays this past offseason. He made his first career All-Star appearance thanks to a 6-4 record with a 2.56 ERA and an AL-high 148 strikeouts through 17 starts.
The rest of Toronto's starting staff, however, hasn't quite lived up to their billing. Injuries have certainly played a role, holding projected starters José Berríos, Cody Ponce and Max Scherzer to just 24.1 total innings while severely limiting Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage.
But injuries aren't the whole story. Bieber and Yesavage have failed to get on track post-injury, while Eric Lauer was unable to recapture his 2025 magic with the Blue Jays and Patrick Corbin soon imploded after initially looking like a viable stopgap solution. Even more concerning, Kevin Gausman has struggled mightily since the start of June (0-5, 6.23 ERA). As a result, Toronto is one of just six MLB teams whose bullpen has surpassed the 400-innings threshold (404.2).
Of course, the biggest burning post-ABS question is, quite simply, playoffs or no playoffs? Luckily for the Blue Jays, there is still time for the answer to that question to determine. In the meantime, the club — including, Guerrero Jr., the starting rotation and whomever may be on the roster after August is — quickly entering an urgent stretch of games.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.