Blue Jays: Which “dead contract” has gotta go?

The Blue Jays have a few players who aren’t living up to their salary in 2018. Who is the worst culprit, and could any of them end up being designated for assignment?

One of the early stories of the 2018 season is how there are players on the Blue Jays roster that have performed better than expectations. Whether it’s been the sustained production of Kevin Pillar, the improved and dangerous Teoscar Hernandez, the surprising pop from Yangervis Solarte, or even the revelation that has been Luke Maile, there have been done pleasant surprises with this team.

Of course, not everyone has performed above the hopes of Blue Jays fans, and some are struggling beyond what we could have imagined. Fans and writers have been picking on Kendrys Morales pretty relentlessly, but the reality is he’s far from alone so far. There isn’t much of a “middle class” in the form of production with this team. and those that are struggling are really having a difficult time.

There are others who haven’t factored at all either, and when you start looking at an organization with so much young talent in the minor league rungs, the winds of change start to blow. We’ve already watched it happen with Hernandez’s promotion, and the appearances of other youngsters like Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Anthony Alford, and even Dalton Pompey. Of course, there are several others and more on the way as well too, so this roster could look a lot different in the not so distant future.

With that in mind, some decisions could eventually have to be made by Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro when it comes to the 25, and 40 man rosters. Injuries will dictate a lot of what they do, but there’s a good chance they may eventually have to trade, or even cut someone in order to fit all the bodies they want to keep on the active roster. With a few players qualifying as a difficult fit these days, I’ve decided to look at which contract might make the most sense to eat, if it couldn’t be traded.