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In Flight: Opening up the Blue Jays mailbag

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This biweekly series will explore some of the biggest storylines surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays' campaign as they chase the franchise's first World Series championship since 1993. This is the fifth edition of "In Flight."

We decided to switch things up a bit for this instalment. Instead of recapping some of the biggest developments around the Blue Jays over the past two weeks, we asked for readers to submit their burning questions about the club.

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Should we be concerned with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s recent performance? - Lorne

The short answer is no. Sure, Guerrero struggled mightily at the plate in May after a really impressive showing in April. He struck out just 14 times against 13 walks with five home runs across 106 at-bats in the opening month. However, in May, Guerrero's plate discipline evaporated, as he struck out 25 times against just five walks with only three home runs.

Guerrero just hasn't been able to replicate the transcendent offensive production he showcased in 2021 when he hit a career-high 48 home runs and finished runner-up to Shohei Ohtani for the AL MVP. The 24-year-old had a solid season in 2022, hitting 32 home runs, but he saw his wRC+ fall from 166 in 2021 to 132.

Even with these relative "struggles," Guerrero is still a far-above-average offensive performer. The issue likely lies with how high expectations have been for the slugger since he was putting on an impressive display during batting practice as a teenager at Rogers Centre in 2015. Even if he fails to reach those lofty heights and the level of production he attained in 2021, Guerrero can still be a perennial All-Star and Silver Slugger for years to come as one of the anchors in the Blue Jays' lineup. Don't write him off any time soon.

If you had to choose one, would you rather sign Bo Bichette or Guerrero to a long-term contract extension? - Jack

Now we're talking! Obviously, if I had my druthers, both Guerrero and Bichette would be spending the rest of their respective primes in Toronto. The Padres signed Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts to nine-figure contracts. There's no reason the Blue Jays can't do the same and pony up to keep their superstar duo in town.

If I have to pick, I'm going with Bichette. Although there are some defensive deficiencies at times, the 25-year-old's contact tool and ability to be one of the league's premier hitters gives him the slightest of edges over Guerrero. Even if the Blue Jays eventually need to move Bichette from shortstop to second base, he can still deliver enormous value with his explosive offensive capabilities. He would be as good of a bet as any player in baseball to live up to a long-term contract.

Is it time to consider trading Vladdy? He could single handedly replenish our depth and minor league system, and we have Spencer Horwitz ready to take over at first. - David

It's no secret that the Blue Jays have shelled out money and prospects over the past few years to improve the roster in an effort to win the franchise's first World Series since 1993. The moves have left Toronto's farm system somewhat depleted, ranking 20th on MLB Pipeline's preseason list of the top systems in the league.

Trading Guerrero would certainly help replenish the stockpile, but it's absolutely not the time to even remotely consider the possibility. The Blue Jays have a window of contention for the next few years, and abandoning that now by trading a homegrown star would likely leave many fans disappointed and angry. Guerrero and Bichette still have two more years of club control remaining before they are scheduled to hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. There's plenty of time to assess where things might stand long-term before making such a drastic, franchise-altering decision.

My biggest concern for the Jays is the lack of depth on the bench and in our farm system along with a lack of good pitching development. How can Jays improve these areas? - Veronica

This is a really good question. The Blue Jays just haven't done a great job developing prospects and graduating them to help the big-league club. Some of that can be connected to making trades for established talent, but the club is still painfully thin on starting pitching prospects who are close to contributing in a MLB game.

Ricky Tiedemann, Brandon Barriera, and Yosver Zulueta could all make an impact in the rotation at some point in the future, but the Blue Jays are in a difficult position if any of their current pitchers go down with injury. Outside of Alek Manoah, the Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins-led front office has yet to see another homegrown pitcher emerge as an option for the rotation. The Blue Jays must find a way to do a better job in this regard because it will be tough to sustain a competitive rotation while spending big on free agents and trades.

The issues with the bench aren't quite as glaring, but it's still emerged as an issue so far this season.

Given the Jays don’t have a lot of high end prospects, and most of them have disappointed this season, are you comfortable dealing from the major-league roster to fill needs at the trade deadline? - Steve

There are certainly still some prospects within the Blue Jays' farm system that will enable Atkins to make moves to improve the club ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline. If other teams value players like Santiago Espinal or Cavan Biggio, by all means the Blue Jays should be open to the idea of trading one of them if it makes the team better in an area of need.

I just don't see anyone like George Springer, Jose Berrios, or Whit Merrifield getting dealt this season. Trading players like that just opens up more holes and question marks for the Blue Jays to address.

Who are some of your trade deadline targets? - Lucas

Well, are the Blue Jays buying or selling? I'm kidding, I think? It would take quite a free fall down the standings for Atkins to trade someone like impending free agent Matt Chapman ahead of the deadline.

If the Blue Jays are buying, it's probably fair to assume they will be looking at upgrades to the bullpen, bench, and perhaps another starting pitcher to provide some depth.

A reunion with White Sox closer Liam Hendriks would be great but the veteran has a $15-million 2024 option that kicks in if he is traded, which makes acquiring him somewhat tricky. The Royals will be a team to watch as they could easily trade one or both of their valuable relievers - Scott Barlow and Aroldis Chapman.

On the position player side, San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson stands out. The slugger has a proven track record of postseason success and would give the Blue Jays the left-handed power they've been coveting and hoped to address with the acquisitions of Brandon Belt and Daulton Varsho.

It's still a bit early to gauge who might be available at the deadline, but it never hurts to start focusing in on the teams that are most likely to be active sellers leading up to Aug. 1.

Where are the City Connect uniforms? - Rob C.

By the end of this season, 20 MLB teams will have unveiled their respective City Connect alternate uniform designs. The Blue Jays are one of the 10 remaining teams yet to do so. There still hasn't been anything firm on when or if the club might release a City Connect uniform. Hopefully, we'll get a little bit of clarity on that sometime in the not-too-distant future.

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