Much of the off-season for the Toronto Blue Jays thus far has been dedicated to run prevention, but after improving their outfield defence and pitching staff, the focus will shift to run creation heading into the 2023 season.
Yes, that is correct, general manager Ross Atkins has added another buzzword to his arsenal, although its meaning will be just as crucial as the former.
The Blue Jays have improved their roster from the end of last season, however, the loss of Teoscar Hernández still has yet to be addressed. At least, not from an offensive standpoint. And that, in particular, is what Atkins plans to prioritize moving forward.
“Now we’ll shift to offensive improvements,” Atkins said to local reporters as the team officially introduced free agent Chris Bassitt on Monday. “We’ll continue to think about raising our ceiling in that area.”
Even after signing Kevin Kiermaier in free agency, the team is still looking to add another outfielder to go along with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and George Springer, as they should. After all, it is not like Kiermaier can be expected to match Hernández’s 2022 output (129 wRC+) when the left-hander – who owns a career 97 wRC+ – is best known for his elite defence.
Atkins’ comments also sugge …

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Author: Thomas Hall / Blue Jays Nation