5 Toronto Blue Jays who shouldn’t be back after yet another brutal blown opportunity

After a slow start, it looked like the Toronto Blue Jays were finally turning things around. They had won four of five after a dominant win on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and their offense had been waking up, scoring nine runs in three of those wins.

Unfortunately, Toronto proceeded to lose each of the next three games including a heartbreaking 14-11 slugfest on Sunday to fall to 23-29 on the season. Toronto came back from down five runs to take an 11-9 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, but Detroit tied it in the eighth and won it in the ninth. Toronto is in last place in the AL East, 12.5 games back of the first-place New York Yankees and five games out of a postseason spot entirely after that latest blown opportunity.

They won't admit it yet as it's still only May, but this Blue Jays team continues to look like one that will not be postseason-bound in 2024. This latest heartbreaking loss only emphasizes that. If things continue to go downhill, changes will have to be made. These five individuals should not be back in 2025 if that's the case.

5) The Justin Turner signing has not worked out as the Blue Jays had hoped

The Blue Jays replaced Brandon Belt who was outstanding for them last season with Justin Turner in hopes that he could be the missing piece in a lineup that underperformed dramatically last season.

Turner's April was outstanding as he posted an .887 OPS and was one of the few players in the lineup actually producing runs. Unfortunately, he has had a brutal month of May, recording just six hits in 59 at-bats (.102 BA) and just one extra-base hit (a double).

Turner's incomprehensible month has brought his season slash line down to .222/.301/.359 and he has just four home runs and 18 RBI. This is a guy who drove in 96 runs last season with the Boston Red Sox. Perhaps father time has finally caught up with the 39-year-old.

Whether the Blue Jays can get much of anything for an aging and declining Turner who is really just a DH at this stage in his career at the trade deadline remains to be seen, but it's hard to imagine the team wanting him back in 2025.

4) The Blue Jays should trade Yimi Garcia while his value is high

The Blue Jays had one of the best bullpens in the majors last season but that unit has regressed big-time in 2024, ranking 28th with a 5.01 ERA entering play on Monday. He wasn't good on Sunday, allowing the Tigers to tie the game in the eighth, but he has otherwise been dominant all season long.

The 33-year-old has a 1.35 ERA in 19 appearances and 20 innings of work even after his latest blow-up. He's issued six walks compared to 25 strikeouts while allowing just one home run. He's allowed just eight hits all year, three of which came on Sunday.

Garcia's $6 million salary is very reasonable and since he's set to hit free agency at the end of the season, the Jays should look to trade him at the trade deadline (assuming they're still out of it) and cash in while his value is high.

3) Yusei Kikuchi's name will be very prevalent in trade rumors

Yusei Kikuchi is another pitcher who struggled in Sunday's loss, but make no mistake. He's been fantastic otherwise. He had a 2.64 ERA in his first ten starts of the year and has a 3.33 ERA in 11 starts even after a rough showing in Detroit.

Kikuchi has rebounded nicely after a brutal first season with the Blue Jays to become one of their most consistent starters. He was one of, if not the best fourth starter in the game last season and has only taken positive strides in 2024.

Like Garcia, it's not his fault that Toronto is in this situation but he's set to hit free agency at the end of the season. However, since he's set to become a free agent at the end of the season, the Jays will need to do what's best for their organization. If they're not competing by July, his name is going to be a very prominent one in trade rumors. Assuming they do sell, Kikuchi can bring back too nice of a return for their front office to pass on.

2) John Schneider will take the fall for this failure of a season

In the modern day, it's hard to know exactly what to blame the manager for. Was it John Schneider who chose to inexplicably take Jose Berrios out of his postseason start last season? Was it John Schneider who, for whatever reason, stuck with George Springer in the leadoff spot for as long as he did? Or were both of those decisions made by the front office?

It's hard to know what to blame Schneider for when it comes to decisions that are clearly premeditated like those, but the fact of the matter is the team has been one of the biggest disappointments in the league this season. Players deserve to take some of the blame, but Schneider isn't getting the most out of them either.

The Blue Jays have the talent to not only make the postseason, but go on a deep postseason run. Not only have they not done that with Schneider in the dugout, but they haven't even won a single postseason game with him in four tries.

It's not only his fault that the Blue Jays are in this position, but he's clearly not making the team any better. It's clear that what the Jays have is not working. They'd benefit from a change in the dugout.

1) Ross Atkins continues to prove he should not be in charge anymore

Ross Atkins was named the General Manager of the Blue Jays after the 2015 season. The Jays made a run to the ALCS in 2016, but that had more to do with the roster that Alex Anthopoulos had put together. Since that ALCS loss, Toronto has made three postseason appearances and has a total of zero playoff wins. Not series wins, they haven't won a playoff game.

Atkins deserves credit for building some very formidable rosters, but this is a results-based business. The Blue Jays simply haven't won enough to justify this man keeping his job after this train wreck of a season almost ten years after being hired.

Atkins had a chance to fix Toronto's main flaws that came from last season's team, their offense, this past offseason and he did not do that. Yes, the Jays pursued Shohei Ohtani, but that was really it. After missing out on him, they just doubled down on pitching and defense by signing guys like Yariel Rodriguez, Kevin Kiermaier, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

The Blue Jays rank 23rd in the majors in home runs and 25th in runs scored and that's with the team playing better on that end over the last week. Some of that has to do with the players, but they weren't a good offensive team last season either and have only gotten worse since. That falls on Atkins who did not bring anyone in to help.

The Blue Jays need major change, and it starts from the top.