Toronto Blue Jays 2026 - State of the season with Brent Cardy

Mat Germain sits down with Blue Jays insider Brent Cardy to break down the state of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2026. The Blue Jays Injury Bug Anthony Santander – out for the year Shane Bieber – June return still possibleJimmy Garcia –  facing setbacks in rehabJosé Berríos – forearm fracture, got lit up in rehab startsMax Scherzer Alejandro KirkNathan LukesAddison BargerGeorge Springer New Faces Making an ImpactJesús Sánchez – power against rightiesYohendrick Piñango – strong swing, great at-bats, batting near top of lineupBrandon Valenzuela – switch-handed catcher, big power & a rocket arm, showing some rookie growing painsSpencer Miles – Rule 5 pick from the Giants; threw 3 shutout innings on Mother's Day; Jays now considering him as a rotation optionErik Lauer DFA'd after a rough startSchedule gets harder from here — Yankees (with Gerrit Cole returning), Baltimore, and tougher AL East competition. Brent is cautiously pessimistic but believes the team will eventually get healthy and go on a run.Vladdy, Bo, and the LineupVladimir Guerrero Jr. – only 2 HR’s; may be pressing himself under the weight of $500M contract (comparison to Vernon Wells' struggles after his big deal)The loss of Bo Bichette to the Mets has left a voidThe offense tends to hit in bunches (Vladdy, Springer, Okamoto, Varsho) without a reliable anchorFrancisco Lindor Trade? - Shapiro & Atkins have a history with Lindor from their Cleveland daysPossible pieces: Arjun Nimmala, JoJo Parker, Andrés Giménez, Davis Schneider, or Addison BargerMoney coming off the books (Springer, Scherzer) Brent sees the fit — a dynamic switch-hitter is exactly what this lineup needsPitching Depth: Who's Next from AAA? Top candidates from Buffalo to watch:Chad Dallas – back from Tommy John; ~3 ERA in seven startsAustin Voth – waiver pickup, bulk innings guyGrant Rogers – big frame, mid-90s fastball, high release pointRicky Tiedemann – hasn't pitched since 2024, same issues persistingDylan Cease - Strong early returns; going 7 innings in his last two starts. Velocity & command are elite. Brent believes the price tag will look like an underpayRobbie Ray as a Trade TargetWon Cy Young with the Jays in 2021Pairing him with Cease would be a formidable 1-2 in a playoff seriesBrent likes the fit; doesn't expect price tag to be astronomicalBullpenJeff Hoffman – out of the closer role, settling into 7th/8th; velocityLouis Varland – closing; loves his mentality, wants him in the zone moreTyler Rogers – middle reliefMason Fluharty – doing a solid job but playing above his weightJoe Mantiply – veteran add, not a high-impact armSpencer Miles – potential starter,  injury history a concernSmall Ball & Jonatan ClaseMat draws parallels between Jonatan Clase & Chandler Simpson (TB Rays) — elite speed and tools, but needs to commit to the fundamentalsBrent agrees the Jays need to play more small ball given the lack of middle-of-the-order powerAll-Star PredictionsJays All-Stars: Vladdy Guerrero Jr. and Dylan CeaseRecord at the All-Star Break: 42–46 (under .500, but still in wild card contention given the weak AL)Follow Brent Cardy with his Blue Jays Breakfast on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecardyshowpodcast/