John Schneider could only stay in the dugout till the eighth on Sunday, as his long and animated exchange with the umpires led him to his second ejection of this year. While his $33 million reliever, Jeff Hoffman, tried to keep Jazz Chisholm from stealing a base at the second, appearing to stop his delivery in an attempt to keep him close to the bag, the umpire called it illegal. Schneider entered the field and fought for his pitcher, only for the umpires to have the last laugh.

“Blue Jays Manager, John Schneider, has been ejected from today’s ballgame,” Blue Jays Nation shared via X.

Last year, the Toronto Blue Jays held an 11–9 advantage over the New York Yankees. This year, they are trailing 3-4 so far against the Yankees. Hence, the series decider on Sunday was expectedly intense, and the Jays ensured every way possible to keep things tight. The score was tied 3-3 in the eighth with Hoffman on the mound.

The Yankees were 1 out with Max Schuemann at the plate and Chisholm at second. Hoffman first checked Chisholm trying to steal a base. He then kicked his leg and spun around to keep the runner close. No pitch was thrown, but the home plate umpire, Steven Jaschinski, ruled it an illegal balk, bringing the Jays’ manager to the field.

Although the conversation started calmly, it soon escalated, and the next few minutes were fiery exchanges between Schneider and Jaschinski. It went to a level that the Blue Jays’ associate manager DeMarlo Hale and second-base umpire John Tumpane eventually broke up the ruckus. Schneider eventually faded out through the tunnel as the Rogers Centre gave a standing ovation. However, it didn’t help the Blue Jays anyway.

While Hoffman saved the inning by striking out Schuemann and Anthony Volpe, the Jays went on to give up 5 runs in the ninth.

Braydon Fisher took over from Hoffman and allowed 3 ERs in his 0.2 innings with 1 SO. He was followed by Tommy Nance, who allowed 2 ERs in 0.1 inning. This adds to their struggling bullpen in 2026. It was Hoffman who struggled early in the year, blowing three of his first six save opportunities while posting a high walk rate and allowing multiple home runs by April. On Sunday, he kept it tight, allowing no runs.

The Blue Jays manager would have thought to pump up his relievers by leading the battle from the front, but it didn’t come in handy. The Jays are currently ranked third with a 34-38 record in the AL East. A few new faces by the trade deadline could only lift the team.

The Blue Jays are rumored to be involved in a few blockbuster trades

The Jays arguably need help in the bullpen, and no one could have been better than Aroldis Chapman. Considering the Red Sox are largely on a losing way, they would likely become a seller, and one such sale piece could be Chapman. At 38, he is still closing games like a pro, recording a 0.46 ERA. He has given up just 1 ER so far in 2026.

Chapman could be the exact missing link for the Blue Jays’ bullpen this year.

Sonny Gray could be another name coming out of a probable Red Sox fire sale. Gray was nothing extraordinary this year, recording a 3.03 ERA and 51 SOs so far this year. However, with Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios yet to return from the IL, Gray could take the pitching staff forward. In both cases, the Red Sox would expect a few top prospects. If the Jays could offer something in exchange, they could still save the season.

The Blue Jays front office made a few aggressive moves in the offseason, picking up Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto. A few more by the trade deadline could work wonders in the second half.