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Fisher’s outing yesterday looked bad, but before that blowup - which honestly still wasn’t as ugly as some of Hoffman’s this season - he had a 2.70 ERA, 3.43 FIP, and 9.57 K/9. Yes, he’s probably overperformed a bit, but he’s still been solid. He’s also young enough that you can reasonably hope he grows into a higher-leverage role, especially with the question marks around Yimi's health and Hoffman’s implosions. Hoffman has definitely been unlucky; nobody is denying that. But when Hoffman blows up, it gets ugly fast. His strikeout rate is still elite, which is why his FIP is always going to look better than his ERA, but the meltdowns are still real. That said, since his last implosion, he’s actually looked a lot better in a different role - and if that doesn’t tell you something, I don’t know what will.

Agreed. Vlad has been a huge disappointment so far in 2026, and the people who had concerns about his consistency when the Jays handed him that contract weren’t wrong. Those concerns were legitimate. That said, I’m not going to judge the entire contract based on 2.5 months and call it one of the worst in sports. A hot one- or two-week stretch could change the look of his numbers in a hurry. You just have to hope Vladdy still has a couple of 5-6 WAR seasons in him, which he’s definitely capable of. Anything less would be disappointing, though.

Or Yordan!

I think you’re taking what I said a little too far here. I’m not saying Schneider should be criticized no matter what he does. Yesterday was exactly the kind of situation I was talking about - Varland and Rogers weren’t available, so you’re working with limited options. I had no issue with Fisher being used in the 9th. He’s been one of the Jays’ better relievers and should be trusted in high-leverage spots when the top options aren’t available. But that also speaks to the bigger issue: the Jays need more than just Varland and Rogers as reliable high-leverage arms, otherwise you’re eventually going to burn those guys out or get stuck in tough spots late in games. The starters also need to go deeper, plain and simple. Given the state of the bullpen, there are going to be nights where you may have to stretch guys like Gausman or Cease for an extra couple of outs, even if it’s not ideal. My point with Hoffman is more about his role going forward. I’m fine with him pitching in the 7th or 8th, and even the 9th in an emergency if they’ve exhausted other options. But based on the season results, I’d prefer Fisher over Hoffman in that spot right now. That’s just where I’m at. I’m a Hoffman fan too, but you also can’t keep putting him in situations where he’s more likely to fail. Since his last blow-up, he’s looked much better in the 6th/7th/8th inning range, and that lines up with where he had success with the Phillies as well. To me, it’s pretty clear he’s better suited for that kind of role rather than being the primary 9th-inning guy.

Vlad has a solid .280 BA and .372 OBP, but yeah, the lack of power has been abysmal. The funny thing is, one small hot streak where he hits 4-5 homers in a week would make his numbers look a lot better. But as of right now, he’s on pace for the worst offensive season of his career. Vladdy is getting paid to mash, not slap singles around. Hopefully he can have a huge second half, because the Jays really need his bat to come alive.

Given how weak the AL has been, the Jays just need to get on a roll and they can cement themselves in one of the Wild Card spots. And with the Yankees losing Judge long term, plus the possibility of the Rays cooling down, the AL East still isn’t completely out of the question. The Jays would obviously need to go on a big run to put themselves into that conversation, but if they can get within 4-5 games by the beginning of August, that would be a nice position to be in. If they’re sitting in the third Wild Card spot, or only 1-2 games back, and their core guys are relatively healthy, they should probably add. I wouldn’t want them to just keep the status quo. The only way they should sell is if they’re 5+ games back of the final Wild Card spot and dealing with several key injuries, which would make a comeback much harder to pull off. But if they’re still where they are now at the end of July (around 1.5 games back) I think they should add. Standing pat shouldn’t really be an option.

Yeah, with Varland emerging as the closer, Hoffman shouldn’t see the 9th inning again unless it’s an emergency. He’s better suited for the 7th or 8th, which is where he’s had most of his success - especially during his time with the Phillies before signing with the Jays. The Jays don’t need to cut bait with Hoffman. They just need to adjust his role, and I agree they probably waited a bit too long to do it. He can still be a real weapon out of the bullpen in the 7th or 8th inning if he figures things out. So far he's looked good since that huge implosion.

Yeah definitely not as sharp as it was last season. Noticed back in April.

I trust the Blue Jays front office and medical team more than you when it comes to whether Kirk could play or not.

I wonder why the Jays struggled to score runs 😂

Varland and Rogers are both likely unavailable. Might have to turn to Fisher or Miles if it's a save situation.

I need to add a Miz jersey to my collection!

Vladdy career .625 average against Schlitter on the bench (albeit small sample size). Kirk 3 for 3 yesterday and not DHing. I guess easing him in since he just returned and since the Jays likely don't want to use two catchers in the same game.

Has aged like fine wine. One of my favourite hitters!

Scherzer is likely only in line for a handful of starts until Bieber returns. I doubt the Jays are planning to rely on him for the rest of the summer unless more injuries pop up. I’d be interested to see them try Max out of the bullpen. Maybe, in shorter 1–2 inning bursts where he can empty the tank, he could still be an effective weapon in relief. As for Springer, I don’t think they can simply hand him the DH spot anymore. I’d like to see him get some part-time work in the outfield while moving down in the lineup.

I think Brandon Valenzuela has quickly become one of my new favourite Jays. He’s stepped up in a big way with Kirk out and really looks like he could be a key piece of this team long term. Falling behind 0-2 against Duran and then taking the ball the other way for a walk-off single? That’s just awesome! He’s becoming one of the most likeable Jays right now - right up there with Ernie Clement. It’s been really fun to watch Valenzuela emerge this season, and I hope he keeps it going. Honestly, I might need to get a Valenzuela jersey haha.

Nah, especially with the summer months kicking into full swing. A bunch of casual fans already bought up tickets and flex packs, lol. Plus, Torontonians need something to do in the summer, and a Jays game is an easy day or night out - rooftop patios, $20 beers, the whole thing. Maybe in September if the Jays completely fall out of it. But right now, with how weak the AL has been, they’re still only 1.0 game back of the final Wild Card spot and 8.0 games back of the Rays, who have started to struggle a bit themselves. Even with all the Jays’ issues, the season isn’t over by any stretch.

Hopefully he can Hatch on somewhere else soon.

The Dodgers recalled Nick Frasso from Triple-A Oklahoma on Saturday 😂

I did actually. Weird stuff like this happens all the time in baseball, more this season especially than before. As well, 82% of the money wagered and 85% of tickets were backing Atlanta yesterday in Vegas and sports books. A bit fishy, not going to lie. That said, a Jays win is a Jays win, and I'll gladly take it.

I volunteer 🤚

AA has had his fair share of questionable trades and signings too, both in Toronto and Atlanta. Sean Murphy looks like he might be washed now, and trading William Contreras in that deal is looking like a huge mistake. Signing Kim to a one-year, $20M contract has been awful. Mike Yastrzemski signed a two-year, $23M deal with Atlanta this past offseason, and while he’s been alright, that’s still a lot of money for a platoon/4th outfielder. The Profar suspension obviously hurt too, but there’s not much you can really do about that. For the most part, the Braves’ bats have been healthy and productive this season. Olson, Baldwin (before landing on the IL), Albies, and Harris have all been great. Even Dubon has provided value. Acuna is back now after missing some time, though Austin Riley has still been disappointing so far. As for the pitching, Atlanta’s rotation was pretty much depleted, arguably even worse than Toronto’s, but they’ve managed to hold up. Sale has been elite, Strider is healthy again, and guys like Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder have stepped up. The back end of the bullpen has also been lights out with Lee, Suarez, and Iglesias.

The Jays actually look pretty solid when it comes to their corner outfield options. They’ve all been effective in different ways, especially Sanchez, who has shown some pop against RHP, and Pinango stepping up after being called up from the minors. I’ll admit, I was one of Nathan Lukes’ biggest critics, but he’s taken his game to another level since coming back from the IL. He’s proved me wrong. Whether that lasts long term is another story, but right now, his bat absolutely deserves to be in the lineup every day against RHP. I still prefer Sanchez long term, but it’s nice to have both options at the moment, especially with Barger out. Once Barger comes back, though, the issue becomes having too many left-handed bats. The Jays could really use a right-handed platoon bat to pair with one of Sanchez or Lukes. They’re definitely missing Springer’s bat at the top of the lineup, but he may need to sit more often in favour of Lukes or Sanchez starting. And they badly need Vladdy to start hitting like Postseason/WBC Vladdy again. The man needs an 8–10 HR month, haha.

Even on the broadcast, they said the Jays defense has been more "middle of the pack" which shows it hasn't been as sharp as it was last season. Even with the eye test from watching games, this isn't the same team defensively from last season.

Oka-Bomb!