{"id":63755,"date":"2023-10-27T07:00:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T11:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=63755"},"modified":"2023-10-26T16:57:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T20:57:06","slug":"blue-jays-2024-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/10\/27\/blue-jays-2024-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Jays 2024 Season Needs Braintrust to Turn Promise into Consistency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If any word is vital for the Toronto Blue Jays right now, it is productivity. Lots of promises and hype were made for the 2023 Blue Jays season, but the hype needed to match the outcome. But despite the disappointing 2023 Blue Jays season, there is a lot to be excited about coming for the 2024 season. The Blue Jays roster in 2024 will look quite different.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Everyone anxiously awaits what will happen with all the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/10\/06\/taking-look-jays-free-agents\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Blue Jays free agents.<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0The Blue Jays have no issues with offense. Still, they have lacked consistent productivity and are cashing in with RISP. The\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/varshda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Daulton Varsho<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gurrilo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lourdes Gurriel Jr.<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/morenga01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gabriel Moreno<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0discussion continues as it points to the fact that the Blue Jays lost that trade. What was hyped to be a blockbuster trade now turns questions about Blue Jays management. But can 2024 be a turnaround of this season?<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Total hits<\/p>\n<p>Gabriel Moreno &amp; Lourdes Gurriel in NLCS: 15<br \/>\nEntire Blue Jays roster in 2023 Wild Card Series: 15<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SNstats\/status\/1716996910555320618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 25, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Toronto Blue Jays 2024 Season Early Outlook<\/h2>\n<h3>Let&#8217;s Put the 2023 Season to Rest<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Players aged 22 or younger to hit 39+ homers through 130 games:<\/p>\n<p>Vladimir Guerrero Jr. \ud83d\udca5<br \/>\nCody Bellinger<br \/>\nJohnny Bench<br \/>\nEddie Mathews<br \/>\nJoe DiMaggio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qY7XjnnK0P\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/qY7XjnnK0P<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BlueJays\/status\/1432878378911244294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 1, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">During the Blue Jays 2023 season, there was lots of discussion and projection that the Jays would pick up supplemental offense to help give them a push late into the season. As well as hoping to make a deeper push into October baseball.\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bellico01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cody Bellinger<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0was a name that continued to circulate trade rumors as he will be a free agent this winter. Bellinger would have been an excellent pickup for the Blue Jays. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays were unsuccessful in adding any threats to their lineup aside from pitcher\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hicksjo03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Jordan Hicks<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0who was a solid addition. But the Blue Jays issues were never surrounded by their pitching.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If the Blue Jays want to make some noise in 2024, they must shake things up. Time and time again, their strengths lie in their young players. However, the Blue Jays need the big-name players to come to the surface and lead. Adding players that will provide consistency is so significant. The Blue Jays 2023 season showed much promise, but the productivity came in sprinkles and needed to be more linear. When the Blue Jays management had their chance to capitalize on adding more structure to their roster, it was just the same old song and dance. It&#8217;s status quo for now, but some changes need to be made in the team&#8217;s messaging and communication of its decision-making process. That includes both from the baseball operations department to game staff and from coaches to players.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Is the Impossible Possible?<\/h3>\n<p>The Blue Jays can add about $45 million in payroll, and there are several routes that the Blue Jays can turn to. Whether these possible acquisitions are realistic and can be categorized as wishful thinking or unthinkable, they are still on the table. Here are some acquisitions that have turned into a bigger discussion on social media:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/o\/ohtansh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shohei Ohtani<\/a> 11-year $489.5 million contract<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/candeje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeimer Candelario<\/a> two- two-year, $26-million contract<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/baderha01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harrison Bader<\/a> one-year, $9 million contract<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lynnla01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lance Lynn&#8217;s<\/a> one-year, $7.5 million contract<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/rosaram01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amed Rosario<\/a>, one-year, $7 million contract.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Closing Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>There is one thing to talk about: a big game, and then there is showing productivity. The Jays 2023 season has not been the only year where fans have been left feeling frustrated. There were many games where fans booed the Blue Jays at the Rogers Center this season, and it was not pleasant to watch. If the Blue Jays want to be taken seriously, they must act now. This offseason will be crucial. There&#8217;s no question that the Blue Jays have players who worked hard in the 2023 season.<\/p>\n<p>Pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/berrijo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose Berrios<\/a> is already working hard and training for the upcoming 2024 season. The Blue Jays also have pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bassich01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-10-26_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Bassitt<\/a>, who had a fantastic season and can be recognized as a workhorse. There is a lot of young and leadership talent on this team. But can the Blue Jays turn promises into productivity in 2024? There&#8217;s no doubt about it, but will they make the right changes? Only time will tell, but a handful of balls can turn into curves in the right direction for the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n<p>Photo Credit: \u00a9 Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If any word is vital for the Toronto Blue Jays right now, it is productivity. Lots of promises and hype were made for the 2023 Blue Jays season, but the hype needed to match the outcome. But despite the disappointing 2023 Blue Jays season, there is a lot to be excited about coming for the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4831,"featured_media":63773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1071,2,7],"tags":[1517,4223,899,3315,4813,1253,1297,1043,1764,3414,2178],"class_list":["post-63755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","category-featured","category-bluejays","tag-amed-rosario","tag-chris-bassitt","tag-cody-bellinger","tag-daulton-varsho","tag-gabriel-moreno","tag-harrison-bader","tag-jeimer-candelario","tag-jose-berrios","tag-lance-lynn","tag-lourdes-gurriel-jr","tag-shohei-ohtani"],"modified_by":"Matt Graves","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4831"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}