Blue Jays First Half Disappointments

Sep 2, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons (5) in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Blue Jays limped into the all-star break, going 4-8 in their 12 July games, falling 4.5 games back of the New York Yankees. The break gives the team a chance to reset for a big playoff push, as the AL East and wild card spots are very much up for grabs.

Toronto Blue Jays

While the break serves as a chance to look ahead, and leave the entertaining yet inconsistent and at times frustrating first half behind us, it also gives us time to reflect on some performances that left much to be desired. Those performances, mixed in with many success stories and surprises, will need to find a way to resurrect themselves if the Jays want to contend in the second half.

The list of individual first half disappointments is small. It was disappointing to see Michael Saunders unable to perform at his peak ability due to injury, but it was hardly a performance issue. It’s tough to call R.A. Dickey a disappointment, despite the fact that he has some numbers similar to that of Drew Hutchison, because the expectations coming into the year were far different for both players.

The bullpen was shaky at times, but has been relatively solid the entire year. Surprise performances from Roberto Osuna, Liam Hendriks, Bo Schultz, and a return to form from Steve Delabar have really helped the bullpen. It’s tempting to call Brett Cecil and Aaron Loup disappointments, but I wasn’t as quick to pull that trigger as many others would be. Both have had their rough patches, but they’ve delivered in some important spots as well, and their respective underlying peripherals suggest they haven’t been as bad as some people make it out to be.

Regardless, there have been some disappointments throughout the first half and I’ll outline  the players I believe that deserve that distinction.

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