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The Toronto Blue Jays are in first place in the American League East as August kicks into high gear. Their historic sweep of the Colorado Rockies kept them ahead of the surging Boston Red Sox this week. The Blue Jays' biggest MLB trade deadline acquisition, Shane Bieber, has yet to pitch, and their biggest free-agent signing, Anthony Santander, is also hurt. Santander is their biggest concern for the stretch run.
The Blue Jays made significant offers for free agents Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Roki Sasaki in recent years. After not landing any of those players, they signed Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million deal. He was second in the American League in home runs with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 and was supposed to bring pop to Toronto's lineup.
Once the season started, the returns on Santander's contract were immediately poor. He played 50 of the first 56 games of the season, mostly as a designated hitter, and posted a .179 batting average. On the season, he only has six homers and 18 RBI compared to 55 strikeouts.
The Blue Jays put Santander on the 60-day injured list with a left shoulder injury. He has not made any rehab starts yet despite being eligible to return, but could return in late August. Toronto must hope that Santander's poor numbers were because of the shoulder injury and not a sign of things to come.
While the Blue Jays have been excellent in recent weeks, they could use Santander in the lineup. George Springer and Santander could switch off the left field and designated hitter roles to keep them both fresh. Springer has been excellent this year, but does not have the homer power Santander brings.
The Blue Jays operated at the MLB trade deadline as if Santander was returning. He has to shine when he does.
The Blue Jays are relying on a roster of younger players
Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette, and Springer are all helping the Blue Jays win games and take the division lead. But it is lesser-known, younger players like Addison Barger and Andres Gimenez making the true difference. Their pitching rotation is a similar situation, with Eric Lauer dominating games on the mound.
The Blue Jays should be counting on Santander for the stretch run of this season and in the postseason. He had a .795 OPS over his final three seasons with the Orioles. But even if he does not shine this year, he is with the organization for four more years. For Bo Bichette, it could be his final run north of the border.
The Blue Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero to a monstrous 14-year contract earlier this season. It ended the standoff between the two sides eight months before his free agency was set to begin. The $500 million commitment could cost them Bichette, however, as he hits free agency this winter.
Bichette leads baseball in hits and at-bats, with a .300 batting average and .809 OPS this year. He has still struggled at shortstop defensively, but the offense has been an important part of the surge. If Bichette leaves in free agency, it would put even more pressure on Santander and the rest of the lineup.
The Blue Jays should also be concerned about Shane Bieber's injury history. While he has made rehab starts in Cleveland's system, he has taken over a year to return from Tommy John surgery. Can they rely on him to provide important innings in a division race and in October?
The Blue Jays are division leaders and near locks to land in the postseason. But they still have concerns with health and the middle of their lineup. Can they get past those issues?
