Toronto Blue Jays: 2 Glaring Needs To Address In Offseason

We continue our look around the league at every team's glaring needs heading into the offseason, by checking in with the Toronto Blue Jays. And for this team, the needs are starting to sound like a broken record. 

Bullpen

If it wasn't already painfully obvious before the shocking final game of the Jays' Wild Card ouster, then surely that horrific 7-run collapse was the final straw. The bullpen has been the team's downfall for two consecutive years now. Will this finally be the year that the front office truly addresses it?

The Blue Jays Bullpen is Miles Away From Winning A World Series - https://t.co/lq3JPXE5mc pic.twitter.com/qJ9YYvbD3i

— Dean Blundell🇨🇦 (@ItsDeanBlundell) October 19, 2022

Jordan Romano has established himself as one of the top closers in the game over the past year-and-a-half. But getting to that 9th inning was once again a choppy affair in 2022. There are some decent pieces, but outside of Romano, no real swing-and-miss heat. They'll need to find some lock-down set-up options most of the best bullpens in baseball have. This is priority No. 1. 

Balance The Lineup

It seems like forever that pundits have been crying for the Blue Jays to get a legitimate productive left-handed bat to plug in the middle of the order. With George Springer, Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernandez, Alejandro Kirk and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. all hitting from the right side, it continues to be a glaring need to balance out the lineup. Opposing managers don't have to think twice about ever needing to go to a southpaw. 

Left-handed batters the likes of Michael Conforto and Michael Brantley will be out there on the free agent market once again. Or perhaps they go the trade route. But doing nothing will not please the critics in the winter of 2022-23. 

Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports