Burning Questions for the Blue Jays’ Second Half of the Season

My, how things can change over the course of one year. Looking back to 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays ended the first half of their season one game under .500 at the 45-46 mark and 4.5 games back of the division lead.

That first half of the 2015 season could be summarized is one giant missed opportunity. With a bullpen full of holes and a middling starting rotation, the Blue Jays of early last season were a mere shell of the team they became in the second half. But then the All-Star break hit, and then the trade deadline came like a shock wave through the organization.

2016 is already shaping up to be much different for the Blue Jays. They’re 12 games better entering the second half this time around than last time. The Jays currently occupy a playoff spot and they’re only a mere two games back of the division lead, which is held down by the Baltimore Orioles.

However, this time around, the Blue Jays aren’t merely hoping to make the playoffs, they’re expecting to make the playoffs.

The second half of the season presents a daunting task for the Blue Jays to repeat as division champions. One of their fiercest competitors in the Boston Red Sox have already made some significant trades to improve their roster. By acquiring Brad Ziegler and Drew Pomeranz, the Red Sox have positioned themselves quite well to open up the second half of the 2016 campaign.

In a way, the Red Sox sort of took some wind out of the Blue Jays’ sails by acquiring those two players, as either Ziegler or Pomeranz would’ve fulfilled a need for the Blue Jays. Now those players have only made the Red Sox that much better for their playoff push in the second half.

On the other hand, the Blue Jays have a little bit of work to do. While their starting rotation has been solid, the status of Aaron Sanchez looms large over the club. This could force the club to acquire a starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline, or thrust Drew Hutchison into the rotation and push the Jays to bring in a bullpen arm.

As mentioned, one of the most coveted starting pitchers in Drew Pomeranz is already off the market, which may force the Blue Jays to re-evaluate how much they’re willing to give up to bring in a starting pitcher.

In regards to the bullpen it was as volatile as a bullpen could be in the first half. However, bounce back campaigns from key members of the bullpen like Brett Cecil and Drew Storen could go a long way to determining whether the Blue Jays are active in the market for a reliever.

The Blue Jays already added to the relief corps several weeks ago by acquiring Jason Grilli from the Braves. But as with any bullpen, it can always be stronger. The acquisition of at least one more reliever pitcher would bode well for the Blue Jays. Maybe not necessarily one of the marquee names on the market like Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller, but Tyler Clippard from the Diamondbacks would surely do.

The status of Jose Bautista and Chris Colabello are two more question marks for this team in the coming weeks. Less so in regards to Chris Colabello, but a healthy Joey Bats’ back in the Blue Jays lineup could contribute much more than any trade ever could.

Chris Colabello will soon be eligible to return to the roster after his 80-game suspension for using performance enhancing drugs, but frankly, he’ll be hard-pressed to find a spot in the lineup. Especially if Jose Bautista is relegated to designated hitter duty and Edwin Encarnacion remains at first, at best, Colabello may only be a bench bat.

But perhaps the biggest burning question of all for the Blue Jays will be whether or not the lineup can continue to score runs at this torrid pace. They haven’t seem to miss the services of Jose Bautista all that much, as the tandem on Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Troy Tulowitzki and Michael Saunders have taken the reigns as the preeminent sluggers of this team.

Unlike last year though, the prospect of a bountiful second half looks to be plausible for the Blue Jays … even without the ability to acquire superstar players like Troy Tulowitzki or David Price.

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