BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 05: Yusei Kikuchi #16 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during game two of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on October 05, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays were, surprisingly, dispatched quickly in the 2022 AL Wild Card series. However, they will likely be with few changes next year.
The Toronto Blue Jays were stuck in a bit of a rut as, though the first 88 games of the season, they went 46-42.
As a result, they decided to get rid of their manager Charlie Montoyo and replaced him with his bench coach, John Schneider. Schneider was exactly what they needed in the regular season, as they went 46-28 for the rest of the season.
In September and October, they went 22-11, which was enough for them to get the first AL Wild Card spot, meaning that they would get all three Wild Card games at home. However, they were swept by the Seattle Mariners by 4-0 and 10-9 scores.
Entering 2023, though, they likely will not have a ton of changes on their team as nearly the whole team is under team control next year.
However, there are three Blue Jays that are almost certain to not be back. Here they are and where we think they will sign.
3 Toronto Blue Jays who won’t be back and where they’ll go.
1) Blue Jays starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi – Pittsburgh Pirates
The Blue Jays signed Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year deal last offseason on the free agent market … and he was flat-out atrocious in 2022.
In 32 games (20 starts), he had a 5.19 ERA with a 5.62 FIP, a 1.50 WHIP, and a career-high 5.2 BB/9. His -1.1 bWAR was also among the worst of all pitchers this season.
He wasn’t particularly great with Seattle in his first three seasons in the majors either, which makes the contract look even worse.
If the Blue Jays are willing to eat some of his contract, they may be able to trade him to some lower-end team, like the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates are nowhere near contention and won’t be at least for a few years. They will be willing to take on some of his contract to help some of their starting pitching woes (4.61 ERA, 24th in MLB).