LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29: Manager John Schneider #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on before game five of the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Blue Jays are hovering around a losing record, just a few months after reaching Game 7 of the World Series.
The poor record has come as a surprise following that Fall Classic run last year as well as a blockbuster offseason of roster additions. But with significant injuries to key players like Alejandro Kirk, Cody Ponce and Shane Bieber, the Blue Jays have been unable to meet the rising expectations for success.
“For two months now, manager John Schneider has been patching holes,” Keegan Matheson wrote for MLB.com. “No two lineups have looked the same, a daily game of figuring out who’s still healthy and who fits where.”
Toronto Blue Jays Lean On Players Acquired During Trade Deadline Fire Sale
And as Schneider gets creative with the team’s lineups, he’s been leaning on a collection of younger players who were acquired during the team’s disappointing trade deadline fire sale from two seasons ago.
“With the Jays promoting infield prospect Charles McAdoo on Thursday, though, their 2024 trade deadline haul continues to bear fruit,” Mitch Bannon noted for The Athletic. ‘McAdoo becomes the fourth current Jay with ties to that August sell-off, with others close behind. The franchise’s worst season in the last six years is now somehow keeping the 2026 team’s hopes alive.”
The Blue Jays cut ties with veterans Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Turner and Isiah Kiner-Falefa when it became clear that they had fallen out of contention two years ago. And while that might have been a disappointment to fans, the younger pieces that the team got back in exchange are now playing some key roles.
In addition to McAdoo, Yohendrick Pinango and Brandon Valenzuela were acquired during that fire sale. And outfielder Jesus Sanchez was also an indirect result of those transactions, as he was added in exchange for Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido, who were acquired back then.
Further down the organization, additional pieces acquired at that trade deadline like Jake Bloss, RJ Schreck and Jonatan Clase could be next in line for the big-league roster as the Blue Jays look to stay afloat amid the injuries.
Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Schneider Sends Message On Successful Trade Deadline Reset
If the Blue Jays do indeed survive the worst of their injury setbacks and make another deep playoff run this year thanks to these younger pieces, it will officially turn that painful fire sale into a success story for the franchise.
“I think that’s kind of how we planned it,” Schneider said of now reaping the rewards of that selloff, per Bannon, “in a year where it didn’t go the way we wanted to here.”