Toronto Blue Jays Looking For A New Manager At The Conclusion Of The Regular Season

By Jordan Long

The Toronto Blue Jays sit at 71-87, 35.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for 1^st place in the American League East Division.  With the Blue Jays missing the postseason for the 2^nd straight season, they will part ways with manager John Gibbins.  He has 1 year left on his contract.

                Gibbins was hired prior to the 2013 season.  This was his 2^nd stint as manager of the Blue Jays.  His 1^st lasted from 2004 to 2008.  Toronto didn’t make the postseason the first time he took the job. The best finish the Blue Jays had was in 2006 when ended 87-75. That season they missed the playoffs by 8 games.

                This 2^nd time around, they hoped Gibbins would manage this team into the playoffs.  Gibbins knew they would be patient and it would take a few years.  The Blue Jays made the postseason in 2015, winning the American League East Division.  They went all the way to the American League Championship Series but were knocked out in 6 games by the Kansas City Royals who went all the way to win the World Series.

                In 2016, expectations were even higher.  They had to not only make the postseason but advance to the World Series.  The Blue Jays ended the regular season as the 1^st Wild Card team and faced the Baltimore Orioles.  It took extra innings but they won 5-2  carrying them all the way to the American League Championship Series.  They fell short of the World Series losing  in 5 games to the Cleveland Indians.

                The last two years have been a struggle for the Blue Jays. They haven’t met expectations under Gibbins.  They finished last year at 76-86 and this year is a lost year.  The offense hasn’t been there this season.  Toronto is 19^th in hitting with a .244 team average.  

                For a team to be successful, the pitching has to be there.  Toronto has struggled on the mound.  The Blue Jays team ERA is 4.84, 4^th worst in all of MLB.  The starters are not doing their job.  They have allowed too many hits and runs.  Pitchers aren’t hitting their spots and the batters are keying on that. Gibbins waits too long to take a pitcher out when they struggle, ending up costing them games.  Starting pitching ERA is 5.10, way too high to win games.

                It is time for the Blue Jays to move on from Gibbins.  They gave him plenty of time to try to make the Blue Jays into a World Series Champion.  It didn’t happen.  This will allow Gibbins a chance to find another MLB job.