Baseball

Blue Jays: five questions to ask yourself before the playoffs
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Blue Jays: five questions to ask yourself before the playoffs
Credit: Sportsnet

The Blue Jays secured a playoff spot on Sunday. Is the club gearing up to avoid best-of-second games? The way things are going, you'd think so.

But even if the club is theoretically the best in America, there are still questions to be asked in view of the playoffs.

Which pitchers will be in the rotation?

As our colleague Sébastien Berrouard said, the Blue Jays don't have the best rotation for the playoffs. The proof? Right now, we're wondering if Trey Yesavage will be the #3 pitcher in the rotation.

Because yes, we're taking it for granted that Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber are the two pitchers who'll get the home assignment.

After that, we can probably rule out the Eric Lauer and Jose Berrios of this world, they being in the bullpen. And since Yesavage has the fewest question marks…

What's next? If Chris Bassitt is healthy on October 4 and Max Scherzer finishes the season poorly, the legendary pitcher could be dropped from the rotation… in favour of Yesavage and Bassitt. But nothing's decided yet, at this point.

Which relievers will make the cut?

That's a tough question to answer, since it's conditional on another question: how many starters will be in the bullpen?

If Max Scherzer doesn't make the rotation, will he be left out or converted to a reliever? What about Jose Berrios? And if all these guys are in the bullpen, what would Eric Lauer's role be?

So, basically, it's impossible to know how many spots there will be left for relievers. But the question has to be raised, since some relievers must be wondering what lies ahead.

We'll see next week.

What would Anthony Santander's role be?

If Anthony Santander is able to play, will the club want to give him playing time? If so, in what position? How dominant does he have to be next week to earn a playoff spot?

That's a BIG question mark. But if he's fit, he could be a game-changer.

How healthy will Bo Bichette be?

Obviously, if Bo Bichette can come back, the Blue Jays will take him. And that's whether he's able to play pinch-hitter or resume his regular spot at shortstop.

But the way Andres Gimenez is playing defensively, would it surprise you to learn that the Blue Jays don't want to touch their current defense? I don't think it's impossible.

Which hitters are at risk of losing their place?

If Santander and/or Bichette return, their roles will speak volumes about the Blue Jays' intentions. After all, if there's congestion at the pinch-hitter position, which would push George Springer back into the field, it could create a surplus of outfielders.

At that point, would Nathan Lukes, who has been slowing down, be left out? Perhaps, yes. Who knows?

Of necessity, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Joey Loperfido are also candidates to be left out of the 13 hitters who will form the Blue Jays' playoff lineup. Decisions will have to be made in Toronto.

Expect the Blue Jays to take their time before making up their minds. Because, as you can see, nothing is simple.

This content was created with the help of AI.

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