Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease shared his reaction after his team lost another game, this time on Monday to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Blue Jays lost 7-1 to Tampa Bay on Monday night at Rogers Centre in Toronto, their fifth loss in their last six games overall as the team dropped to a season-low eight games under .500 with a 46-54 record through the season’s first 100 games.
It has been an incredibly frustrating stretch for everyone involved, but especially for the players, who are trying their best to win baseball games, yet they keep coming up short.
Dylan Cease Reacts to Latest Blue Jays Loss
Speaking to the media after the Blue Jays lost on Monday against the Rays, Cease — who dropped to 6-5 on the season despite a pristine 2.67 ERA — shared his reaction to the team’s struggles.
“Itâs on us. It’s not the coaches. It’s not anybody else. We’re just not playing up to our potential right now. So it’s frustrating, but we have each other’s backs. Weâre going to keep fighting,” Cease said.
For the fans who watch the games and who buy tickets to see their favorite team player, it’s been unthinkable to see the Blue Jays go from nearly winning the World Series last year to being in last place in the American League East this season.
But that’s the reality of the situation right now, and the players are also understandably frustrated by how they are not living up to their standards this season.
Blue Jays Likely to Sell at Deadline
With the Blue Jays now eight games below .500, the team is likely to sell at this year’s trade deadline, which takes place on August 3.
The team has a few expiring contracts that could be of interest to World Series contenders, such as starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber, center fielder Daulton Varsho, and designated hitter George Springer. Reliever Jeff Hoffman could also be of interest to other teams.
While no one would have ever expected the Blue Jays to be sellers rather than buyers before this season began, this is unfortunately the reality of the situation for the ballclub, which seems unlikely to make the playoffs this year even as a Wild Card team in the weak American League.
While you can point to injuries as a major culprit for the team’s downfall this season, it’s not fair to only blame injuries for the players’ poor performances. Ultimately, the players just haven’t lived up to their end of the bargain for whatever reason, as Cease candidly admitted.
There are still 62 games remaining this season, so theoretically, there is still time for the Blue Jays to turn things around. But if they are going to make a legitimate playoff push, they basically need to rip off a 14-game win streak like their AL East rivals, the Boston Red Sox, are currently on. Otherwise, there just won’t be enough time left in the season for the Blue Jays to make a run at a Wild Card spot.
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