Offering a better solution for the Blue Jays’ offensive woes

When it comes to the much talked about offensive woes of the Toronto Blue Jays, it is no longer a question mark but rather a realistic problem they face. Just looking at the numbers, the Jays currently rank 28th in batting average, 23rd in RBI, and 21st in OPS, runs scored and stolen bases in the entire league. On top of that, they have already been no-hit and one-hit just less than two weeks into the MLB season.

The Jays had made some key signings this past offseason with hopes to bolster the team’s overall run production for 2024. But other than the consistent contributions of designated hitter Justin Turner, the results have been in large part quite disappointing thus far for the others. To make matters worse, even some of the key roster mainstays have struggled coming out of the gate, leading to their current 5-6 losing record while being outscored 55-41 in the process.

How can the Jays work to improve on their offense? Despite manager John Schneider expressing his thoughts saying there’s nothing to worry about, it is imperative that they need to do something soon before the season begins to spiral beyond control. 

Well, there is actually a proven power bat that’s currently still stuck in the free agent market that the Jays could surely use to boost their offense. That player is none other than 10-year veteran Tommy Pham. Pham provides the combination of reliable run-production, power and speed in the lineup as he has averaged close to 20 home runs, 70 RBI and 20 stolen bases over a 162-game schedule pace throughout his career. Even at the age of 35, he put together a solid 2023 season when he hit .256 with a .774 OPS, 55 runs scored, 27 doubles, 3 triples, 16 home runs, 68 RBI, 22 stolen bases, with around a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 129 games split between the Mets and Diamondbacks. Pham also ended up helping the Diamondbacks to their first World Series appearance in over two decades.

With that kind of overall production and impact, Pham would be a considerable upgrade over someone like Daniel Vogelbach, who has been used quite sparingly so far this year. Vogelbach has appeared in just four games to date, two as the starting designated hitter and two as a pinch-hitter, and has registered just 2 hits, an RBI, a pair of walks and 3 strikeouts. With such minimal usage, he would represent the ideal candidate for Pham to replace on the roster. On top of that, Pham can actually play a solid glove in the outfield as well, while Vogelbach can't field well. With the Jays current starting trio of outfielders, along with utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Cavan Biggio all struggling to start the season, Pham could present an alternate workable option in the outfield while injecting his potent bat in the lineup at the same time.

The key right now is the fact that Pham would probably need some extended spring training to get him back into game shape if he is indeed signed, even if he doesn't feel that way.

So the Jays would need to get it done as soon as possible to speed up the process. With their offense sputtering almost every time out, it may be time for the club to try anything they can to see if it can help kickstart it into motion. By adding another power bat into the lineup, it could be the first step in the right direction for the Jays going forward.