In less than a year, the Blue Jays have gone from 'in on Soto and Ohtani' to deadline sellers; how did we get here?

The Blue Jays have arrived in an unthinkable place: Deadline sellers. Despite the league expanding the postseason pool, the Blue Jays are poised to be migrating south for the winter. They have gone winless in the postseason recently and exposed themselves as pretenders in lots of different ways.

How did we get here? In truth, baseball is a sport measured in large blocks of time during which judgements are made deliberately.  In Toronto’s case, they have been living in a competitive position for approximately four years. A series of events during that time have conspired to bring them to this present moment. Sure, this season has been tough but the groundwork for that underperformance has been laid over the course of years. In other words, it didn’t just happen overnight.

In fact, most baseball fans outside Canada probably chuckle when reading about the latest player the Blue Jays are linked to. Its almost become a running joke to see the Blue Jays at the top of an offseason rumor only to come away empty in the large majority of instances. The Blue Jays have been linked to pretty much every level of player including Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto.

In Ohtani’s case, there was a legitimate attempt to import a talent that could have changed the trajectory and direction of the franchise. Ohtani seemed to be impressed with the organization by all accounts, even paying a visit to the team’s spring training facility in Florida. During this time, the Blue Jays surely sniffed around the Soto market. However, despite being "in", the Blue Jays swung and missed on the talented Dominican.

It feels like history will look at the 2021 Blue Jays as a wasted opportunity.  They had a stacked team and the inability to even make the postseason that summer will stand out. Robbie Ray pitched at a Cy Young level. Marcus Semien, Lourdes Gurriel Jr, and Teoscar Hernandez were having standout seasons. To say nothing of Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s standout accomplishments that year. Those players have enjoyed varying amounts of success since. The lowest moment of the 2021 regular season may have been the Rafael Devers home run in game 162 for Boston, but there were just enough moments of imperfection before that as well. What a shame. Look at what has happened since.

The response to that underwhelming season was to effectively trade offense for defense. How do you feel that is working out? Shortly thereafter, the organization seemed to champion a new hitting approach led by Don Mattingly. That approach seemed to prioritize contact over power. The results seem uneven at best. The front office felt that a less convivial/more professional atmosphere was needed in the clubhouse. Gone were Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. They seemingly retired the home run jacket before hastily bringing it back this season to inject some life into the room. As the home run jacket illustrates, the Blue Jays problems go well beyond an article of clothing.

Even then, the organization was still in win-now mode and made moves to put them over the top. Off the field, how do state-of-the-art renovations in Toronto and Florida sound? On the field, fans could see the 2022 and 2023 teams were competent even though they lacked that special ingredient. Quick October exits confirmed that suspicion. Despite back-to-back postseason underperformances, it seemed that uniformed personnel understood the sense of urgency in 2024. When offense was at a premium, a number of players were called up to spark a lifeless lineup. It didn't matter if you had a famous last name or calming presence in the clubhouse. A manager sensed the hot seat around him and tried to right the ship.

In the end, it was all for naught. Not only that, but the rest of the league has run laps around the Blue Jays. The last two World Series champions have come out of the American League and the Blue Jays have their work cut out for them. In the AL East, a team in Baltimore that was once putrid is now reaching elite levels. The Rays are always a pain even if they seem underwhelming in 2024. The Red Sox seem like they have laid the foundation of a sustainable future. The Yankees will never be counted out.

In the end, the Blue Jays have taken a long time to reach this current moment. It may take them a little longer to return to the top. There will be brighter days ahead and a turnaround is still possible. Look no further than last year’s World Series participants who were even worse than the current Blue Jays. There is hope.