Five things to watch as Jays play out string on 2024

TORONTO — For the first time in five years the Toronto Blue Jays were trade deadline sellers and are now comfortably playing out the string for the final eight weeks of the season.

While not much matters from an overall team perspective as the dog days of summer have arrived, there’s a whole lot of at-bats, outs, and opportunities that can be vital to individual futures in all sorts of ways.

With that in mind, here are five situations to monitor over the final 50 games.

CAN BO REBUILD SOME VALUE?

Despite the goal to compete in 2025, you’re going to hear Bo Bichette trade rumours again at some point this off-season.

There could simply be a baseball trade that makes sense for the Jays, and it’s a tipping point time in this franchise’s window where everything could be on the table.

No matter what happens on the field for the 26-year-old shortstop over the final two months of 2024, two important factors will be at play this winter when it comes to Bichette’s trade value: The first is there’s no doubt he’ll be coming off the worst season of his career, and the second — the elephant in the room for the entire franchise as team control on their two cornerstone players ticks down — is he’s scheduled to be a free agent in about 15 months.

It’s going to be tough to get full value in a trade for Bichette coming off the overall year he’s had, but it would help erase some of the recency bias if he can at least finish hot in September.

On Tuesday, manager John Schneider said Bichette is “definitely” going to make it back from his calf strain by the end of the season, but added he’s not yet back to baseball activities, leaving the timeline for a return very murky and one setback could change everything.

WILL JOEY VOTTO MAKE A CAMEO?

Here’s a reminder that the local star actually did sign a minor-league deal with the Jays way back in March.

Since then, the 40-year-old — soon to be 41 in September — has been desperately trying to recover from an ankle injury, finally arriving at Triple-A Buffalo recently.

Even though he homered a couple of days ago, Votto is the one driving his rehab at this point and Schneider says the veteran left-handed hitter wants to be getting results and feeling comfortable before he deems himself ready to face big-league pitching.

At that point, the Jays might have a decision to make.

It won’t be hard to get him on the roster with 40-man spots open, but what’s the point of taking at-bats away from young players who need them?

The organization will likely let the feel-good story play out  — the Cincinnati Reds arrive at Rogers Centre for three games Aug. 19-21 — because, why not, and the manager also mentioned Votto’s leadership being welcomed into what’s turned into a pretty inexperienced clubhouse post trade deadline.

It’ll at least provide some Jays buzz for a day or two if Votto is summoned.

DO THEY NEED ONE STARTING PITCHER OR TWO?

On paper next season ,the Jays will still be more than solid atop the rotation, part of the reason a reboot can be argued for.

In Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt, the Jays still have a great starting point to build one of the better rotations in the American League.

But after those three, it gets real dicey.

One veteran free-agent starter is a must. Two might be ideal given the situation.

Over the final two months, the development of Yariel Rodriguez and trade addition Jake Bloss will be key.

Can you pencil them in next spring or are they better off as SP6/7 depth?

Rodriguez has shown swing-and-miss stuff in spurts, but he’s been limited to around 80 pitches and the command has waned at times.

He may end up being a lights-out reliever in the end, but the Jays aren’t going to pull the plug on the 27-year-old Cuban as a starter anytime soon.

Bloss, even though he was rushed to the big leagues by the win-now Houston Astros, might be better off with some more development time at Triple-A, but both pitchers will get to audition down the stretch here.

Bowden Francis would like to be in that mix too, but the Blue Jays have been hesitant to fully stretch him out for over a year now, which sort of tells the story of how they view him.

Beyond those three names, there isn’t much.

Alek Manoah could be ready to return from Tommy John surgery around the all-star break, while top prospect Ricky Tiedemann is unfortunately likely to miss the entire 2025 season after his own TJ.

FINDING SOME RELIEF

Thanks to the volatility of short-stint arms, every bullpen across the game needs work in the winter.

The Jays front office might need to overhaul three-quarters of their eight-man group, if we’re being honest.

But the final 50 games is going to provide chances for guys to prove themselves and give the decision-makers something to think about heading into the off-season.

That ranges from the injured Jordan Romano, who might not make it back in time from arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, to less proven arms like Genesis Cabrera, Zach Pop and Ryan Burr.

Heading into the off-season, only Romano and Chad Green will be guaranteed jobs next spring, while Erik Swanson’s stuff will be monitored closely over his final appearances down the stretch.

Considering they have to be added to the 40-man roster this winter or exposed in December’s Rule 5 draft, relief prospects Connor Cooke (No. 23) and Hayden Juenger (No. 38) could be September options if additional arms are needed.

CAN ANYMORE PROSPECTS MAKE AN IMPACT?

Most of them have arrived.

And if they haven’t, it means they’re hurt.

Overall, five of the club’s top 15 prospects on our TSN top 50 list from January have debuted or played large roles this summer.

Orelvis Martinez (No. 2) arrived and then was quickly suspended until late September, while Leo Jimenez (No. 6), Addison Barger (No. 7), Davis Schneider (No. 8) and Spencer Horwitz (No. 15) have all either graduated their prospect status or are tracking to do so by the end of the year.

With Joey Loperfido — also about to graduate past the 130 at-bat prospect threshold, meaning he won’t be on the January 2025 list — needing everyday at-bats as well, there isn’t much room left on the roster for more youth.

That’s why outfielder Jonatan Clase, the main piece coming back in the Yimi Garcia trade, is playing everyday at Triple-A, rather than in the big leagues fighting for playing time.

The one name the Jays may have to find a way to shoehorn in, simply because they may want to see what they have, is second baseman Will Wagner, who will also need to be added to the 40-man this winter, regardless.

The 26-year-old has absolutely nothing left to prove at Triple-A — he has seven hits in his first 11 at-bats in Buffalo after coming over from Houston at the trade deadline — but the Jays have a logjam of names vying for time at second base, so something will have to give.

There’s going to be no shortage of young position players jockeying for depth chart spots over the final two months.

All the names just mentioned are trying to leave a lasting impression heading into the winter months, and you can also add Ernie Clement, Steward Berroa, Luis De Los Santos and backup catcher Brian Serven to that mix.

The scoreboard does not matter for the next two months, but the individual performances absolutely do as this club disappointingly plays out the string on 2024.