My two cents on this season:
- this roster was flawed from Day One. The homers on this board who love Ross Atkins/Shaprio and who kissed their ass all season and at the trade deadline need to really give their head a shake. There is something fundamentally wrong with this team. Two years of disappointing results.
- Weak bullpen: again we saw how this bullpen had some holes especially in a game like this. No way you blow an 8-1 lead. Mayza and Bass were awful. Garcia and Romano did a solid job. Though if the Jays want to shorten the game, they need an elite pen. And we saw they don't have one to finish a game from the 6th inning with an 8-1 lead. I said this even after the trade deadline.
- Weak roster depth: I liked the Merrifield acquisition at the trade deadline but this team since last offseason never focused on building roster depth. We saw them throw away ABs on Tapia and Zimmer most of the season. Please go out and get a solid reliable 4th outfielder during the offseason instead of ignoring that part of your roster.
- Trade deadline: while I said the Blue Jays didn't do that bad at the trade deadline and approved the moves they made, they weren't any acquisitions that took this team to the "next level."
I hope this team during the offseason decides to focus on other areas of the roster rather than just a starting nine and the front of their rotation. We saw this team lacking in the bullpen and with their roster depth all season long.
Most importantly, some serious questions need to be asked about their so called franchise players - Vladdy and Bo. Are they going to be the leaders of this team and take this team to the "next level"? I still give them both another chance in 2023, though if they both don't live up to their expectations again, then you have to shake some things up.
The 2023 season is very important. You still have Teo and Chapman under control. Springer and Gausman will be a year older and you hope Berrios rebounds. You still have your main young core under control such as Vladdy, Bo, Kirk, and Manoah. No messing around and being cheap on building a stronger roster. The window is now!