Unfortunately the time has come where us fans should admit that this current Toronto Blue Jays roster is nothing more than a .500 squad. Sitting in the middle of the pack as they have for two months now, Alex Anthopoulos must look himself in the mirror and realize that the plan didn't work and it's time to salvage what he can from the mess he made. Six places from the bottom of the American League won't cut it when Rogers has taken on a payroll of $120 million and it's time that veteran players are shipped out in return for young team-controlled players to retool for the future. With the season already in its second month it's becoming painfully obvious that players like Deck McGuire and his 27.00 ERA should not be getting playing time if this team is to contend.
As teams like Cleveland and Seattle pull away from Toronto, another rebuilding cycle will begin anew with hopes that this time the team finally gets it right. Players like Brandon Morrow were expected to be pillars of the 2014 squad, but with a 10.80 ERA and a shattered confidence it seems like the right-hander will be out the door in favour of some fresh blood to continue down the road to mediocrity.
With pitchers rarely going beyond two innings of work, manager John Gibbons has been forced to manage the bullpen like a day trader manages his account. While there have been bright spots in the team, notably Liam Hendriks and his two saves, the squad as a whole has failed to live up the lengthy expectations that were set for them when play began in February. The calendar has already been turned once this season and Jose Reyes remains planted with just one RBI, not to mention J.A. Happ having an ERA higher than R.A. Dickey's age.
While it's obvious that the Blue Jays will end the season and head north without any hardware, the opportunity is there to strengthen the team and make another run at it next year. If they don't, I'm not sure how many more seasons of .500 baseball fans will be able to withstand.