Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. catches a foul ball and gives a fan a thrill at Wrigley Field on Friday.
Cubs 6 10
innings
Blue Jays 5
The Blue Jays still might not be a particularly good baseball team, but they’ve at least become an entertaining one since the trade deadline.
Throughout much of the first half, taking in a Jays game wasn’t too far removed from watching paint dry. An anemic offence meant long periods without a baserunner, let alone a scoring opportunity. The bullpen was bad enough to make even diehard fans question their loyalties.
On days when the Jays fell behind early, there was no reason to keep tuning in. When the starting pitcher performed well, most of the game was spent waiting for the one mistake that would turn a winnable game into an inevitable loss. Having a losing record is bad enough; doing it with an aging roster that offers little hope for the future is even worse.
Thankfully, eight trades at the end of July helped change the narrative. The Jays acquired 13 prospects, including Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido. They also made room for some of their own — such as Spencer Horwitz and Addison Barger — to assume bigger roles.
That means no more Kevin Kiermaier flailing at breaking balls, or Justin Turner swinging through fastballs down the middle. Placeholder Isiah Kiner-Falefa was shuffled out, too, as the Jays embraced a youth movement. The changes haven’t led to a big uptick in wins, but they at least brought the fun back for players and fans alike.
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