Poll: Should the Blue Jays Start a Rebuild?

With the Blue Jays’ disappointing 2017 season, many experts, journalists, and fans have suggested the idea of a rebuild. There are both pros and cons to remodeling the Blue Jays roster. Do you think they should start a rebuilding phase, or have one last attempt at a title with the current core? Voice your opinion in the comments below!

Pros

1. Potential For a Dynasty

The Blue Jays have in their farm system what they’ve been lacking for the last few decades: bona fide homegrown superstars. While Guerrero Jr. and Bichette are still very young (18 and 19 respectively), both are drawing rave reviews from scouts, as Baseball America lists Guerrero Jr. as the 2nd best prospect in the MLB while Bichette is ranked 44th. Other players in the top 100 include Alford (38), and Gurriel (90). Trading current, short-term assets such as Donaldson and Happ may be a tough pill to swallow, but the Blue Jays could acquire even more top prospects to add to the young core already in the MLB (Sanchez, Stroman, Osuna, Pillar, Travis, etc.) and build a true dynasty in Toronto.

2. Diverse, Balanced, Exciting Baseball

While sometimes climatic and enjoyable to watch, the Blue Jays’ “three outcomes” style of play (home run, walk, strikeout) is more often frustrating because of its frequent slumps. The new regime has been very vocal about building a more athletic, balanced team. With a rebuild, the Blue Jays have a legitimate chance at bringing a new brand of baseball to the Rogers Centre – one that is more consistent and enjoyable for fans to watch.

3. The 2018 Free Agency Class

If you haven’t heard yet, the 2018 Free Agency class is quite good. Some notable names include Harper, Kershaw, Donaldson, Machado, and Keuchel. The second tier isn’t all that bad either as it is headlined by names like Dozier, Murphy, Blackmon, and Britton. If the Jays were to rebuild and shed short term salary (and Tulowitzki, Martin if possible) to gear up for a run at a star or two in 2018, this could shorten the rebuild length to around 1-2 years.

Cons

 1. Prospects Are Just Prospects

While the emergence of Guerrero Jr. and Bichette is quite exciting, they are still young and unproven at the MLB level. And although a dynasty is the best case scenario for a possible rebuild, the prospects that the Jays may acquire could end up becoming busts and the rebuild could take up to 4-5 years rather than a short retool. The Blue Jays have built up their fan base into one of the best in the MLB and any long-term rebuild could be a catastrophic blow.

2. Still Lots of Talent at the MLB Level 

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Yes, the Blue Jays season has been disappointing and yes, the Blue Jays are probably not going to make the playoffs in 2017. However, there is still a lot of quality talent at the MLB level that has just under performed this season. Pitching wise, the Blue Jays have Stroman, Sanchez, Happ, Biagini, and Osuna who are all locked up next season. On the position side of things, Donaldson, Travis, Smoak, Martin, Pillar, and possibly Alford could start in 2018. With a few smart baseball trades and free agent signings, this team is not far from contention in 2018. Ending an era of successful baseball in Toronto would truly be a shame.

Next: Blue Jays: The Cubs have set the first bar for trades

We Want Your Opinion

Now that you’ve read some pros and cons to a possible Jays rebuild, we want you, the fans, to voice your opinion (the most important one) on this matter. Should the Blue Jays rebuild for a potential future dynasty or try their luck again in 2018?