Reality’s Setting In
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
It's at the letters for Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026. Arden's Welling and Ben Nicholson-Smith with our producer, Christian Ryan. Thanks so much for listening. Ben, let's go back to a month ago.
How bad has the Blue Jays’ recent 23-game stretch been and what does it mean for their playoff hopes?
ago we were so much younger then and so much more innocent on june 22nd when the blue jays won the first game of a homestand four to two over the houston astros to move to 39 and 39 reaching 500 for the first time since early april What has happened over the 23 games since? Well, the Blue Jays have won at a 3-0-4 clip going 7-16 in that span. That's the second worst record in baseball to only the Athletics. They have scored 3.48 runs per game with a 6-0-4 OPS, both dead last in baseball. Their ERA, 4-5-9, that is the 19th worst in baseball and their run differential negative 38 28th in baseball it is hard to play as generously the second worst team in baseball for a month and qualify for the postseason and that is why we are where we are today
Yeah, very, very disappointing. Very surprising as well, because there have been lots of times this season where it seemed like, hey, maybe they can get back into it, especially given the competition surrounding them in the American League. looks like it might be a lost season. Now, it's July 22nd. We all understand there is more time. There's technically a 9% chance that they make the playoffs. And so that door is not closed. And certainly when you talk to uniformed people around this team, coaches, John Schneider, the players, they're trying to focus on winning the game in front of them, on trying to get back into this thing if they can. But for those of us who zoom out a little bit more and look at this thing bigger picture,
It's starting to look like a team that needs to sell. It's starting to look like a team that won't be making the playoffs. And I say starting. Obviously, it's been gradual in the course of that last month and certainly has been really accentuated in the last five games since the All-Star break where they've gone one and four and really played poorly and been unable to score a lot of runs. So here we are. I mean, it's a frustrating time, I know, for Blue Jays fans and for people in uniform because they are not achieving the results that they need to And this season is just going off in a bad direction.
With nine games remaining in the month of July. So the final two of this current series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which the Blue Jays have dropped the first two games of. Then you go to Boston for three. You go to Washington for three. Then you begin the series right prior to the trade deadline against the St. Louis Cardinals at home. And the first game of that series is on July 31st. So let's... say that by August 1st, the Blue Jays are going to need to have a pretty decent idea of just what they're doing at the trade deadline. So over the nine games the rest of the month, to me, the only way you avoid a sell at the deadline is by going 8-1 with some help from the rest of the teams around the American League.
Do you see another scenario where the Blue Jays could get to buy?
maybe seven and two i mean right at that point you're still four games under and we're kind of splitting hairs here basically i agree with you um it's gonna have to be it's gonna have to be a ton of wins in a very short period of time with almost no margin for error and that reality is setting in at field level where you hear kevin gosman talking after his uh start on tuesday night and yeah there's an awareness that they are missing chances um John Schneider acknowledging more frustration than we've seen him acknowledge. He's staying really even keeled with this, but there is an acknowledgement that he's frustrated with his players. So, yeah, I would think seven and two, you know, maybe it's like a seven and two where they sweep the Red Sox and they're gaining directly on their competition.
But you only have a couple losses to play with. That's it.
And that's the only opportunity you have to really make up ground on a team that you're directly competing with because right now the Blue Jays aren't competing with the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:06–0:24
2
How bad has the Blue Jays’ recent 23-game stretch been and what does it mean for their playoff hopes?
0:24–21:41
3
What short-term record would the Blue Jays need to avoid becoming sellers at the trade deadline?
21:41–54:59
4
Which Blue Jays players are the most likely trade candidates and what complications could affect deals?
54:59–1:00:33