As the St. Louis Cardinals prepare to face the Toronto Blue Jays, I reached out to Bryant Telfer, a writer for Bluebird Banter, to get a Blue Jays fan’s perspective on this matchup. Okay, so technically Bryant reached out to me first and this was all Bryant’s idea, but I helped. I even came up with some of my own questions. You can check out my answers at Bluebird Banter!
From clubhouse leadership to rising prospects, Bryant provides an insightful breakdown of Toronto’s roster. And for those who enjoy a bit of baseball nostalgia, there might even be mention of the most unforgettable moment in Blue Jays history — you know the one.
Now, embracing the spirit of these two teams’ long history of cooperation between them, let’s dive into the conversation.
Viva El Birdos: To start off, let’s hear from you about the Cardinals! From the outside looking in, how do Blue Jays fans view this Cardinals squad? Do they see them as a legitimate threat, or is the perception of St. Louis still evolving as the season unfolds?
Bluebird Banter (Bryant Telfer): I’m not going to lie, because we only see the Cardinals once a year and they play in the NLC, the Cardinals are usually thought of first in the context of transactions. The current Toronto and St. Louis front offices seem to be pretty closely aligned as we’ve done a lot of deals together – Randel Grichuk, Jordan Hicks, Genesis Cabrara, Paul DeJong, Aledmys Diaz – and we all prospect watch, but outside of that, there’s just an expectation that the Cardinals will be good. For the last couple of decades, the Cardinals are usually top of the division or close to it, usually a playoff contender, and one of those teams you expect to see stars on. Arenado was connected with Toronto for a week or two as a thoroughly illogically trade rumour in the spring but that was about it.
VEB: With the Blue Jays being in the American League I must admit I don’t follow them as well as I probably as should as someone that covers baseball. I was hoping you could help me out and catch me up on the state of the team. What are some things I should know about the Blue Jays I would miss just looking at the stat lines?
BB: The Jays are in a very strange place right now. They are two bad weeks away from being a big seller at the trade deadline and two good weeks away from being a buyer at the deadline. The Yankees have a 5.5 game lead on the division which is right in the mix at this point in the season. They’re a hard team to judge because they’ve been very streaky this year – they went from being one of the worst offences to two weeks of lighting up the ball. They went from a very solid durable rotation to really scuffling. And the bullpen, despite injuries, keeps games in reach. On paper, the Jays need a lot to go right, but as of this moment, the offense has really clicked lately and they remain the elite defensive team in baseball. If we can get healthy and get some pieces back, they could go on a real run but I also wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the high point of the season for them either.
VEB: Is there anyone you would say is the heart and soul of the Blue Jays clubhouse right now? For years, that person seemed to be Yadier Molina for the Cardinals. Are there any standout leaders who keep this team energized?
BB: This is Vladdy’s team. Vlad Guerrero Jr, even before his contract, was the face of the team and now with a 14 year half billion dollar contract, he’s not only at the heart of the team but he’ll be expected to be the one to step up. Kevin Gausman really seems to be the leader for the pitching corps, and guys like Springer absolutely bring a lot of leadership. It’s starting to turn back into a fun clubhouse, which the Jays lost the last couple of seasons.
VEB: Sort of repeating a question from you right back at ya, but are there any exciting Blue Jays prospects who might debut later in the season? Which young player has the best chance of making an impact?
BB: The Jays already have a number up, like Addison Barger and Alan Rodan. Barger is one of those five tools guys that the Jays don’t often draft and after a couple of years going up and down to the majors and playing all over the diamond, he’s really come on at the plate and looks good at third. Unfortunately, a lot of the Jays top prospects are either rehabbing from injury or lower in the minors. Closest if there’s an injury would likely be Orelvis Martinez, our former top prospect who served a suspension last year for a positive drug test and struggled to start the year, but has been on a tear recently. If the Jays are sellers, there’s a chance guys like Robertson, Schreck or Pinango might get a look. Really, our biggest hope for an impact player isn’t a prospect, but whether Alek Manoah can make a healthy return in the last month or two of the season after his TJ brace surgery.
VEB: Again, you know, why do more work when you have asked such wonderful questions I can just repeat back to you? Which Blue Jays player do you find most exciting to watch right now, and what makes them stand out? And maybe this is a different player or maybe it is the same, but which player should make me nervous as a Cardinals fan when my team is up against them, facing them on the mound, at the plate, on the basepaths…?
BB: Vlad on a roll is pure joy to watch. He’s such a complete hitter that it looks effortless when he destroys the ball and equally so when he spits on one just outside the zone. But for the moment, it has to be Addison Barger. He’s young, makes mistakes and chases more than he should, but when he connects, he really launches the ball and he’s turned in some really athletic plays at the hot corner. He could be a difference maker if he continues to play like this. As for making other teams nervous, Bo Bichette is back in his groove. He’s making good plays in the field and he’s really rediscovered his power stroke. When he and Vlad are going, they can put the game away themselves against even great pitching.
VEB: And then we can end on a fun one, at least I hope it is. If you had to pick just one unforgettable Blue Jays moment, what would it be and what made it so special?
BB: That one is tough. First of all, the all-time unforgettable Blue Jays moment is Joe Carter’s walk off homerun in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series. Only the second WS walk off in MLB history, paired with an absolutely iconic call from Ford Frick winner Tom Cheek. Say ‘Touch ‘em all, Joe’ to any Torontonian around my age or older, you’ll watch the nostalgia well up immediately. For someone my age, who followed the team through the 80s as a kid, Dave Stieb’s reaction to finally getting his no-hitter after losing three bids for it with two out in the ninth (two of those starts back to back) is up there. However, especially for younger fans, Jose Bautista’s two out 3 run blast in the 7th inning of the 2015 ALDS is possibly the greater iconic moment from the Jays for baseball in general. The context of the game and the at bat with the events leading up to it, including a 7th inning that had more twists, turns and generally just plain weirdness in it, the crazy ‘back to the wall’ do or die moment. Paired with Bautista’s all but putting the attitude of a whole country of fans into that bat flip was something else. If you just plain like baseball (and aren’t a Rangers fan), treat yourself to a rewatch of the whole weird inning for some of the craziest baseball ever.
A huge thank you to Bryant Telfer for sharing this insight ahead of this Cardinals-Blue Jays series. Whether the Blue Jays are poised for a late-season push or facing a potential roster shake-up, this series seems to have some fun things in store for fans of both teams.
Thanks again to Bryant for taking the time, and here’s to an exciting matchup ahead!