Revamped Blue Jays Attempting To Make History

     If you would've told me three weeks ago that the Toronto Blue Jays would go out and acquire all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and ace pitcher David Price within 72 hours, I would've called you crazy. However, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos pulled off just that leading up to the 2015 MLB Trade Deadline, and now has the Blue Jays positioned in the second wild card playoff spot with 53 games remaining in the regular season, with 13 games remaining against the AL East leading New York Yankees. For Blue Jays fans, there hasn't been this much hype around the ball club since the glory days back in the late 80's and early 90's. This season can go one of two ways down the stretch: either the Jays end the MLB-leading 22 year post-season drought with one of the most dangerous teams in the league or they wind up falling just short for another season. Either way, the Blue Jays are geared up for one roller coaster of a finish.

     Let's go back two months, June 3rd. The Jays sit 4th in the AL East with a record of 25-30 and have just a 14% chance of making the postseason. Thanks to a great month of June that saw them bump from 5 games below .500 to 5 games above .500. A mediocre July put the Jays at a crossroads heading into the trade deadline. The team was sitting at 50-51, 7 games behind of the division-leading Yankees on July 28th when they acquired 5-time all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies for Jose Reyes, Miguel Castro and two minor leaguers. While most of the baseball world was shocked at the sight of this deal, most pointed out that the deal didn't address the Jays biggest need, pitching. LaTroy Hawkins is a great veteran out of the bullpen but him alone couldn't resurface the Jays in both the Wild Card and Division playoff hunt. Just under 72 hours later, the Jays acquire another 5-time all-star, David Price from the Detroit Tigers. This trade solidified the Jays rotation by adding something they hadn't had since the departure of Roy Halladay, a bonafide ace that can not only eat up innings but also has the ability to strike out batters with overwhelming power. At the time of the Troy Tulowitzki deal, the Jays had just a 37% chance of making the postseason. Fast forward just a week since the deal and the Blue Jays now sit 4 games above .500 and not only hold onto the second wild card spot but are just 4.5 games back of the Yankees in the division. The addition of Ben Revere also gives the Jays much needed speed at the top of the line-up and a good glove in left field, a piece of the puzzle that should definitely not be overlooked. It's astounding what a couple acquisitions can do to boost a ball club in such little time.

     So here we are, 53 games to go with a grasp on the second wild card spot and a very realistic shot at chasing down the Yankees for the AL East Division title. Alex Anthopoulos was on the hot seat heading into this year's trade deadline, and he delivered to say the least. Even with the offseason acquisitions of Josh Donaldson (who is an AL MVP candidate right now) and Russell Martin, AA was forced to turn good results this season or his tenure as GM of the Jays was likely over. If the Jays don't make the playoffs after the acquisitions, at least it wasn't because of Anthopoulos sitting back and not taking action like last year, and it makes it hard for the Blue Jays management to give him the boot after the work he's done to improve the team this season. However, with a new team president on the way, it'll be interesting to see what happens with Anthopoulos at the end of the year.

      While there's still a long ways to go in the regular season, the Blue Jays have positioned themselves to make history, ending the longest post-season drought in the league thanks to help both on and off the field. With 53 games to go and 13 against the Yankees, one thing is for sure, it's going to be an exciting finish.

*Sorry I haven't posted in so long, I'll try and be less lazy :)*

Blue Jays Returning Players to Make Bigger Impact Than Trade

     It's not hard to be dissapointed that the Toronto Blue Jays failed to make any moves at the MLB trade deadline, but you have to look at the bigger picture to see why Alex Anthopoulous held back on making a splash (or even a ripple) at the deadline. With many key players out of the line-up and set to return in the near future, the return of the Jays' star players will make much a bigger impact than any trade could make.

     Sure, the Blue Jays missed out on a quality stater in both Jon Lester and David Price, but at what cost? The Oakland Athletics gave up back-to-back home run derby champion Yoenis Cespedes to acquire Lester, and Lester's contract expires at the end of the season, meaning the A's could be trading away Cespedes for a pitcher they could only have for the next two months. For the Blue Jays, landing either Price or Lester would've meant trading away the shallow prospect pool they have and then some, ruining the chance at a future pennant-winning team. So why take a chance on a pitcher who could leave your organization in the next handful of months for your entire future? It simply doesn't make sense for the Blue Jays at their state and it's a good thing Anthopoulous didn't budge at the deadline.

     When you look at the Blue Jays starting infield right now, it seems like a AAA team is being fielded by manager John Gibbons. Aside from Jose Reyes, you have Ryan Goins, Munenori Kawasaki, Danny Valencia, Juan Francisco and Steve Tolleson taking turns at various positions on the infield. Without Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie on the corners and Adam Lind at first, the team loses a lot of defensive liability, and it shouldn't even have to be mentioned how much it hurts their offensive game as well.

     And while the Blue Jays are just 2.5 games back of the Baltimore Orioles for the lead in the AL East, there's still 41 games left to play, which is ample time for Encarnacion and Lawrie to contribute and contend for a division title. Not to mention, the Blue Jays still have a 3-game lead with the second wildcard spot in the American League, which would face them off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a one game showdown to see who takes on the best of the AL in the ALDS.

     It's too bad the Blue Jays couldn't rack in an all-star pitcher or a go-to second baseman at the MLB Trade Deadline, but it's not the end of the world by any means. When the Blue Jays are healthy, they have one of the most potent line-ups in the American League. As long as the current roster stays healthy for the majority of the remaining season and Encarnacion and Lawrie return on time, the Blue Jays still have an excellent chance at contending for a division title.