The baseball world received some shocking news on Wednesday morning when the Toronto Blue Jays decided to dismiss manager Charlie Montoyo after three-and-a-half seasons in front of the club.
He is leaving the Blue Jays with a 46-42 record, which doesn’t seem so bad without some context.
He was given a playoff-caliber roster that was appointed by some as the favorite to win the AL East, and he also failed to take the Jays to the playoffs in 2021.
He also was behind a quick playoff exit in 2020.
Overall, he goes with a 236-236 record in parts of four seasons.
Everybody loved him, from players to baseball analysts and writers.
And while he isn’t a bad manager, he deserves some or most of the blame depending on your view of the situation.
Blaming The Front Office
However, a Blue Jays analyst is also calling out the front office for failing to address key needs over the offseason.
“The front office hasn’t taken nearly as much criticism as Montoyo did. He sort of insulated them a bit. They’re squarely in the crosshairs now if they can’t figure this thing out ASAP,” Josh Goldberg tweeted.
The front office hasn’t taken nearly as much criticism as Montoyo did.
He sort of insulated them a bit.
They’re squarely in the crosshairs now if they can’t figure this thing out ASAP.
— Josh Goldberg (@JGoldberg12) July 13, 2022
In a reply of his own tweet, Goldberg clarified that while Montoyo deserves some blame, the front office failed to address specific areas that came back to haunt the team, such as the bullpen and a lefty bat.
He also mentioned that betting on Yusei Kikuchi was a mistake: the Japanese pitcher has a horrible 5.12 ERA in 65 frames.
While those things are true, the Blue Jays also signed Kevin Gausman, traded for Matt Chapman, and extended Jose Berrios, among other things.
All things considered, the blame should be divided among Montoyo, the front office, and some of the players.
There is still time to secure their place in the playoffs, though.
