The Blue Jays entered the 2018 with a lot of question marks surrounding the team, especially after a disappointing 2017 campaign. Despite the 76 win season, the Blue Jays felt that better luck in the health department and a few tweaks could put them back in contention. Some would debate that point, but I’d argue that the fact that Josh Donaldson wasn’t traded this offseason was the most obvious signal that Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins are telling the truth about wanting to contend.
Even with better luck and a few reinforcements, the Blue Jays’ brain trust knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy task qualifying for the playoffs these days.