Former GM Ricciardi: Blue Jays should 'blow the whole thing up' ahead of trade deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays currently sit at 46-56, good for last place in the American League East division and 9.5 games back of the final AL wild card spot. 

As the losses have continued to pile up into the second half, the Blue Jays look to have shifted their attention to the July 30 trade deadline, selling off expiring assets in order to help the team contend over the coming years.

But former Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi believes the team should use the deadline as an opportunity for a complete tear down as opposed to a retooling of the roster in what looks to be a seller’s market. 

“They’re in a tough situation,” Ricciardi said on TSN1050’s First Up Friday morning. “Personally, I think they should blow the whole thing up and start from ground zero, and just try to rebuild.

“Did you look at the deal Washington got for [Juan] Soto? That’s what you have to do, you have to trade Guerrero and be able to bring back three really good players that can speed up your system to replace what you don’t have in the system right now.”

The three players Ricciardi was referring to are C.J. Abrams, a 2024 NL All-Star, James Wood, the number two ranked prospect in baseball, and MacKenzie Gore, who’s posted 118 strikeouts, a 4.20 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP across 100.2 innings pitched this season.  

The trade also saw Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana sent from San Diego to Washington, with both currently ranked as the ninth and 11th ranked prospects in the Nationals’ system, respectively.

Franchise cornerstones Guerrero and Bo Bichette have not yet signed long-term deals to keep them in Toronto after the 2025 season. The only player signed to a deal past 2026 is starting pitcher Jose Berrios, who agreed to a seven-year, $131 million deal with the team in November 2021. 

“The problem with keeping Vlad Guerrero, unless you’re going to build around Vlad Guerrero, and continue to add, there’s no point in keeping [him],” he said. “I lived that, we had Carlos Delgado, made 33 per cent of our payroll on a $50 million payroll. 

“I love Carlos Delgado, best hitter I’ve ever seen. Couldn’t build a team around him because we had no money. So if you’re going to put all this money into Guerrero, what’s left to build around a team? 

“Their payroll is already in the top 10 in baseball, you have to get that assurance that you’re going to continue putting money into the team.” 

Toronto entered the 2024 season with the seventh-highest payroll in the majors at $221 million. Having spent that money and still sitting 10 games under .500 in late July, it would not be surprising to see the roster look very different as soon as next week.  

“I give them credit, they’ve taken a shot at it,” said Ricciardi. “They’ve gone out and spent money, so from that standpoint, I tip my hat to them. But you also have to look at, you’ve had Bichette and Guerrero now, surrounded by all of these guys that you’ve added, and you haven’t really gotten that far. 

“What’s the point of keeping these guys, you know? It’s not working. It’s not a radical change, you take these two guys and you turn them into something that’s positive.” 

The Blue Jays have made the postseason three times since Bichette and Guerrero debuted in 2019. In that time, they have been swept out of the wild card round in all three playoff appearances.  

“If you don’t trade these guys now, and you go into the winter, you’re not going to get as much because teams aren’t going to give you much for one year of control over a player. 

“I really think they’ve missed their opportunity, but I’ll be surprised if someone gives them a boatload for a player going into the last year of a contract.”