11:15 a.m.: The Blue Jays have fired manager Charlie Montoyo, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter ). The decision comes just three months after Montoyo signed a one-year extension that ran until the end of the 2023 season. It’s rare to see a team that’s four games over .500 and in possession of a Wild Card spot oust its skipper, but Montoyo’s Jays are in the midst of a terrible run that has seen them lose nine of their last 11 games their. That includes a sweep at the hands of a red-hot Mariners club that used a four-game winning streak over Toronto to pull within a half-game of the very Wild Card spot the recently faltering Blue Jays cling to. ESPN’s Jeff Passan adds that “questions in the clubhouse about leadership” also contributed to Montoyo’s firing ( Twitter link ). It’s been an unexpectedly mediocre season for the Blue Jays overall. While their lineup has been well above average overall — Toronto hitters are hitting .259/.321/.435, good for a fifth-ranked 111 wRC+ — that caps a dismal midseason stretch where the Jays were one of the lowest scoring teams in the league for a few weeks. Even with those solid percentage stats, Toronto is just 11th in total runs scored (401) and its offense hasn’t been the most demanding unit they expected. Each of Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. they were a better than average winner, but shy of their recent production levels (especially Bichette). Offseason acquisition Matt Chapman has been better than he was in his previous two seasons with Oakland, but has yet to return to the form he showed before hip surgery in 2020. There have been similar unexpected problems with the pitching staff, with the unexpected fall of captain Jose Berrios among them. The longtime first baseman and 2021 draft pick for the Jays signed a seven-year contract extension in the offseason and immediately followed his worst performance since his rookie season. Berrios was the epitome of consistency for the Twins from 2017-21 and has been his typically strong self in the division with Toronto since last July’s trade. However, he has stumbled into the 2022 season with a 5.38 ERA and a low 20.7% strikeout rate in 95 1/3 frames. His rotation partner, offseason free agent signing Yusei Kikuchi, had similar problems in the first season of a three-year deal. Hyun Jin Ryu is out for the season due to Tommy John surgery. Injuries have kept Nate Pearson from taking the mound. Of course, those shortcomings certainly don’t fall on Montoyo’s shoulders, but he will be the one to take the blame for the struggles of those expected contributors and the team’s recent implosion of often close losses. He becomes the third manager to be fired this season alone, as both Joe Girardi (Phillies) and Joe Maddon (Angels) were fired earlier in the year. At least in terms of win-loss record, Montoyo will go down as one of the most successful managers to be fired in recent memory. Despite taking over in the latter stages of a rebuild in 2019, he has led the Jays to an even 236-236 record in his three-plus seasons on the job. Prior to his time with the Jays, the bilingual Montoyo was one of the most successful minor league managers in Rays franchise history, and also spent four seasons as a bench coach in Tampa Bay. Given that history and track record, it stands to reason that he could find himself a candidate for some offseason coaching and/or managerial pursuits — if he’s willing to get right back in a boat, of course.
