Blue Jays' sloppy losses could spark tough conversations, roster moves

CHICAGO -- For a moment, the sun shone through on the South Side of Chicago. As Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stood on top of home plate, admiring his 437-foot blast to left field, Toronto's tough week appeared brighter. Then the clouds -- and sloppy play -- returned. With a bullpen blowup and costly mistakes in the field and on the bases, the Blue Jays suffered a third straight defeat, falling 6-3 to the Chicago White Sox. The reigning American League champions have dropped consecutive series to last year's two worst teams. The losses, this early in the season, won't sink the Jays. But they could force tough conversations and roster decisions. "They're very well aware of the standard that is set here, and the expectations that we hold, what we think is important," manager John Schneider said. "When you don't hit those, we're going to have to have some more conversations." For a third straight game, the Jays held a late lead. After Guerrero's homer, they sat a few outs away from victory. Then, on just 13 pitches, Brendon Little gave it back. The lefty allowed a double and two homers to put the Jays behind again. The Jays still weren't out of it after the home runs, though. They tacked on a run in the seventh to get within one, before Tyler Heineman was caught at third base attempting to move up on a sacrifice fly. It was, in some ways, the sort of aggressive base running the Jays covet, but not with two outs and not with Guerrero on deck. It turned a rally into a dead inning with a single base-running mistake. "We can't do that," Schneider said. "It's as simple as that. Heini knows that, everyone in the dugout knows that, everyone in the stands probably knows that." An inning later, with the Jays hoping to keep their deficit to one, Heineman threw the ball into the outfield, turning a smart play from Ernie Clement into two more White Sox runs. The 18,389 fans in Chicago erupted, cheering on Toronto's compounding mistakes. "I think we've really set the tone here," Schneider said. "This is what we expect, and if you're not doing it, someone else will get a chance to do it." Schneider is a staunch defender of his players. He claims trust in each player on the roster, even through their struggles. Discussing Little and Heineman's missed pitches and misplays Saturday was about as close as the Jays manager comes to calling players out, even if not directly. The Jays made it to the World Series last year with a core identity built around smart base running, clean fielding and camaraderie. They have the talent to be that team again, but that identity is seemingly just as important. The team, Schneider said, will address the sloppy play. But the fix may come in the form of roster moves, too. Heineman isn't going anywhere. He put together the best season of his MLB career last year and is essential for a team that just lost its starting catcher to injury (more on that later). He's usually quite solid in the field, grading out as a positive catcher in blocking, throwing and framing last year, and the Jays will continue to lean on him behind the plate. Little, on the other hand, may be destined for a stint in Triple-A Buffalo. The Jays, both publicly and privately, lauded the lefty's progress in spring training. He was one of the team's top relievers in the first half of last season, but struggled in the second half and gave up huge homers in the postseason. Few Blue Jays needed a smoother starter to 2026 than Little, and it hasn't been smooth at all. Saturday's outing raised Little's season ERA from 18.90 to 24.55. His stuff is undeniable, with one of the highest whiff rates in MLB last year. He has a minor-league option year remaining, which could allow him to head to the minors to turn that stuff into big-league outs once again. After another heavy day of bullpen usage, the Jays will need a fresh arm or two. "We got to figure it out," Schneider said about Little. "We're going to try to put the best team out there every single day. So we'll definitely sit down and talk about it." The Jays started last year 5-5, and they had a losing record after the first month. Toronto hasn't dug itself into some insurmountable chasm with a .500 start through eight games. They're 4-4, not 4-40. But, on paper, the Jays' first three opponents presented the team with an opportunity to bank wins, taking advantage of a rare soft spot in an AL East schedule. The Colorado Rockies and White Sox were baseball's two worst teams last year, and both have taken a series from Toronto. The Jays' opponents, eventually, will get tougher. They'll have months filled with October contenders and division opponents, where wins will be difficult to stack together. There's no better reminder of that than what comes next, with the Los Angeles Dodgers flying to Toronto after the Jays' series finale in Chicago. Even if Toronto is at its best, it should be a competitive series. Sloppy mistakes will certainly lead to more losses. "We're eight games into the season," Schneider said. "I feel like we've had some games that scream 'not us.' When we play like us, we're good." Toronto's starting catcher fractured his left thumb in Friday's loss to the White Sox when he was struck by a foul ball. X-rays revealed the fracture after the game, and Kirk will see a hand specialist in Pennsylvania on Monday to determine if surgery is needed. The catcher's thumb was also dislocated, Schneider said, but the larger concern is the fracture on his thumb knuckle. There is no timeline for Kirk's return yet, Schneider said, but the 27-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday morning. He was replaced by switch hitting catcher Brandon Valenzuela, who was promoted from Triple A. The 25-year-old caught almost every Blue Jays pitcher during spring training and impressed staff with hard-hit balls. Valenzuela and Heineman, Schneider said, will split catching duties fairly evenly in Kirk's absence. Valenzuela will make his MLB debut Sunday. The Jays' depth has been tested in the first few games of the season. They're down four starting pitchers and now an All-Star catcher. So, the Jays added to arguably their thinnest position group Saturday, acquiring middle infielder Tyler Fitzgerald from the San Francisco Giants. The Jays sent cash considerations back to San Francisco. Andrés Giménez and Clement, if healthy, have the keys to Toronto's second base and shortstop position all year. Davis Schneider can chip in at second, and prospect Josh Kasevich could come up to play shortstop, if needed. But, aside from those options, the Jays don't have many proven middle infielders in the upper minors after the team designated for assignment and traded Leo Jiménez ahead of Opening Day. Fitzgerald restores some of that depth. The 28-year-old has a .739 OPS in 178 MLB games, playing second, short and some outfield for the Giants. He's stolen 28 bases and hit 21 homers in that time, too, finding success mainly against left-handed pitching. Last year, though, Fitzgerald was a below-average offensive player, striking out in 28.8 percent of plate appearances. He can be optioned to Triple A, where he'll likely begin with the Jays.