It’s a strange time for the Toronto Blue Jays!

The Blue Jays are sitting at 21-21. Not great, but not terrible either, just ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East standings. On paper, they’re still in the mix. But in reality, they have looked like two different teams. Every week, you catch them—the reality changes. One day, they are slugging like October is calling, and the next, they are stranded and even dropping routine plays. So fans are left in a fix—which is the real version?

That kind of inconsistency is putting pressure on more than just the players. Even the team president, Mark Shapiro, and GM, Ross Atkins, know what’s at stake. This is a roster they have bet a lot on, and if things don’t improve or spiral downwards like they did last summer, they might be forced to make a move that once felt unthinkable.

Trading away Bo Bichette! Yes, the same 27-year-old shortstop, two-time All-Star, fan favorite, and current free agent-to-be. With every passing week, the $33 million Blue Jay player’s name is creeping up further into the trade conversations. From all those predictions of Jay’s re-signing, to now the trade, things have spiraled quickly. And now there are some surprising destinations deemed perfect for him, like the Milwaukee Brewers. At least according to insider Dave Gasper!

In a recent report, Athlon Sports, Dave Gasper threw the Brewers into the mix as a potential trade suitor. “This would be a dream target for the Brewers to get to spark their offense,” Gasper said. He pointed out the dismal season that Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz is having at the plate. So Bichette could be the missing spark for them. But he said, “But they’ll have to wait a little bit longer for it to potentially become a reality. The Blue Jays are going for it in Bichette’s last year… They won’t trade Bichette unless they’re out of the hunt.” 

So that’s the catch: if Toronto stays in the race, Bo Bichette is going nowhere. But if, shortly, the losses start piling up, don’t be surprised if contenders like Milwaukee come calling. For now, though, Bo Bichette’s job is simple—hit and help the Jays be in contention. And keep the front office from making a franchise-altering decision. But right now, the Blue Jays have another player they might be more worried about.

The Toronto Blue Jays have more pressing matters to tackle

Toronto Blue Jays may be juggling trade rumors and playoff hopes, but Tuesday night brought a very different problem into focus—a bullpen meltdown that cost them big. They suffered a bad 11-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, and all fingers pointed at one man—Jeff Hoffman.

Brought in during the ninth to hold a two-run lead, Jeff Hoffman simply imploded. He recorded just one out while giving up four hits, five runs, and a walk. Braydon Fisher had to come in and clean it up, but by then the damage was done. It was probably Hoffman’s worst outing as a Blue Jay and probably the worst by any Toronto Blue Jay reliever this season.

Now, the 32-year-old was signed from the Philadelphia Phillies to stabilize the bullpen after Jordan Romano had left in a near-swap. But things haven’t gone to plan. His ERA is sitting at 6.05—a far cry from the player he was when he was in Philadelphia. But despite the mess and his slump, manager John Schneider is not giving up hope. Not yet. Schneider recently said, “His stuff has been consistent all year, you know? He’s done more than his fair share of helping us win games so far. I’ve got nothing but trust in him going forward.”

It is a bold take, and the team’s bullpen hasn’t inspired that confidence. According to FanGraphs, they are 19th in ERA. However, they are oddly elite in other metrics, like first in strikeouts per nine innings. For now, wait and watch is the name of the game.

Do you think that both these players will bounce back? Let us know in the comments.