5 items the Blue Jays should have on their Christmas wish list

Matt Chapman

Reunions can be fun, especially when the player in question is a former fan favorite. This offseason, we've seen Lourdes Gurriel Jr. re-sign with the Diamondbacks rather than coming back to Toronto.

Teoscar Hernández is still out there, as is Kevin Kiermaier, but if the Jays manage to reel in Bellinger, there is no longer a need for a reunion with Kiermaier. As a result, the Jays must pivot fast to a critical position that presents the biggest hole in their roster. That position to fill is third base. With only one obvious candidate available remaining in the free agent market that could provide both game-changing offensive and defensive output at the position, the Jays need to bring back Matt Chapman.

Despite his lack of consistency in his run production this past season following his hot start in April, Chapman has previously proven to be a significant contributor on both sides of the field throughout his career. With all the capabilities of averaging close to 30 home runs and 90 RBI per season when healthy, he has all the makings to be a power, productive third baseman in the long haul. On top of that, his defence is never in question with his four Gold Gloves to date.

Alek Manoah's return to form

One of the unexpected outcomes during the Jays’ 2023 season was the surprising regression of Alek Manoah. After being named an AL Cy Young finalist during his sophomore year following a brilliant rookie debut in 2021, much more was expected out of the young phenom this past season in helping to carry the Jays to the postseason and beyond.

However, who knew that his uncharacteristic Opening Day start in which he gave up 9 hits and 5 earned runs in just 3.1 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals foreshadowed what was to come. Unable to maintain consistent control and command of his pitches for practically the entire season, Manoah ended up posting a disappointing 3-9 record with a 5.87 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, giving up a whopping 93 hits and 59 walks, leading to 57 earned runs in just 87.1 innings. It even got to a point in which he was sent down to the minors to rediscover his confidence and to make the right adjustments to his pitching mechanics with hopes to right the ship, but to no avail.

Nevertheless, GM Ross Atkins has given him the vote of confidence heading into the 2024 season in that he will be in the mix for a starting rotation spot. For the Jays’ sake, they will need to get the dominant, front-end of the rotation version of Manoah back so that they don’t need to attempt to overspend or get into a bidding war for big and overhyped pitching free agents such as the recently signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto or current free agent Blake Snell. That way, not only would they have a bonafide starter back in their rotation, but they can now allocate their resources to address more important needs of the team, such as the aforementioned positions above.

Have a prospect step up

As much as the Jays want to bring in all of the top players either by free agency or by trade to help the ballclub, there’s only so far they can go in terms of their ultimate budget and resources they can spend. As a result, some of their remaining needs will require internal options to step up to fill the void.

In retrospect, the Jays actually haven’t had someone internally that could provide such an immediate impact since the emergence of both Alejandro Kirk and Santiago Espinal over three years ago. Both have gone on to become everyday starters, in addition to being named an All-Star as well. Although in the case of Espinal, his somewhat disappointing season in 2023 has put him a little further back in the depth chart now, but remains a key part of their bench.

For the Jays to have long-term success, they will need a prospect (or two!) to step up this coming season to complement the stars and veterans already in place to round out the team. It could be Davis Schneider filling in at second base or the designated hitter spot, as he gave everyone a glimpse of what he could provide in his two-month stint with the club last season with his performance. Or it could even be Spencer Horwitz becoming the designated hitter, who obliterated minor league pitching all year long in 2023.

Have Vlad and Bo do what they do best

Without a question, the Jays have been led by rising superstars Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the past few seasons. Being the faces of the franchise, many have put high expectations on their shoulders to carry the team. Very often, the team can only go as far as they bring them, so it is crucial for the Jays’ success that both Bichette and Guerrero remain consistently productive year in and year out.

Last season, Bichette was plagued by a leg injury that took place just prior to the trade deadline. He made a valiant effort in coming back earlier than expected, but it was quite evident in his play that he was not 100 percent for the rest of the season. In the end, he only hit .254 with a .694 OPS along with just 3 home runs and 14 RBI in the final two months of the season.

In the case for Guerrero, he couldn’t come up big during the season when it mattered most as he struggled to a .268 average and a .735 OPS when hitting with runners in scoring position. In addition, Guerrero managed only 9 home runs and 28 RBI in the final two months of the season. To top it off, once the playoffs came around, both he and Bichette ended up being virtually invisible against the Minnesota Twins, subsequently leading to their early exit from the postseason.

So for the team to have sustained success in 2024 and beyond, they will need both Bichette and Guerrero to be as healthy as possible, along with being the potential difference maker on both the offensive and defensive side of the game. With the dynamic duo firing on all the cylinders in the heart of the Jays’ lineup, they will certainly be an unstoppable force, especially when also provided the complementary pieces to support them to fill out the lineup.