Blue Jays: Why Charlie Montoyo was fired, explained

The Toronto Blue Jays shocked the world by firing manager Charlie Montoyo. Here is why the team made the decision.

On the very day that NHL free agency began, there was some huge news to drop in Toronto. And no, it was not the announcement that the Maple Leafs signed former Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov. This had to do with the Blue Jays.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the Blue Jays have fired manager Charlie Montoyo on July 13 after a 46-42 start to the season. The Blue Jays confirmed the news, announcing that bench coach John Schneider is the interim manager for the remainder of the season.

Yet, the question remains: why did Toronto decide to move on from Montoyo just days ahead of the All-Star break?

Why Charlie Montoyo was fired by Blue Jays

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan noted in a tweet that even though the Blue Jays were in postseason contention, “bad losses and questions in the clubhouse about leadership were a devastating combination.”

Yes, the Blue Jays were in contention for the postseason, but not by an ideal margin. They held the third and final Wild Card spot in the American League, narrowly behind the rival Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox entering July 13 by a maximum of 1.5 games. But Toronto had the Seattle Mariners half-a-game back, and the once-lowly — and now-surging — Baltimore Orioles two games behind for the No. 3 Wild Card berth.

Toronto had made a ton of moves over the years to put the team over the edge as favorites for the World Series on paper. But at this point this year, they are clumped in with the Rays, Red Sox, and Orioles, all of which remain far behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Given the talent in Toronto, that is a bit shocking.

With a 236-236 overall record in four years, the Blue Jays decided that it was time to move on from Montoyo as manager.