11:37 a.m .: The Blue Jays have announced the move in a press release. Montoyo has been “relieved of his duties as coach” (i.e., fired) in favor of bench coach John Schneider, who will take over temporarily until the end of the 2022 season. Triple A, Casey Candaele, also joins the Major League squad as interim bench coach.
11:15 a.m .: The Blue Jays have fired coach Charlie Montoyo, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The decision comes just three months after Montoyo signed a one-year overtime that lasted until the end of the 2023 season.
It’s rare to see a team that exceeds .500 in four games and in possession of a Wild Card point expel their skipper, but the Montoyo Jays are in the middle of a terrible stretch that has seen them fall nine of their last 11 parties. This includes a sweep into the hands of a Mariners club that used a four-game winning streak over Toronto to recover halfway through the same Wild Card spot to which the Blue Jays have clung. clinging recently. ESPN’s Jeff Passan adds that “questions at the clubhouse about leadership” also contributed to Montoyo’s dismissal (Twitter link).
It’s been an unexpectedly mediocre season for the Blue Jays in general. While his lineup has been well above average overall: Toronto batters are batting .259 / .321 / .435, good for a fifth-ranked 111 wRC +, this masks a sad stretch in the middle of the season where the Jays were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league for a few weeks. Even with these solid speed stats, Toronto ranks only 11th in total runs scored (401), and its offense has not been the most anticipated gigantic drive.
Each of Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. they have been better than the average batsman but shy of their recent production levels (Bichette in particular). Matt Chapman’s off-season acquisition has been better than in his last few seasons with Oakland, but he has yet to regain the form he showed before his 2020 hip surgery.
There have been equally unexpected problems with the launch staff, including the head of Jose Berrios’ unexpected departure. The longtime Twins first starter and the prized 2021 term acquisition for the Jays signed a seven-year contract extension in the offseason and has immediately continued with his worst performance since his rookie season.
Berrios was the image of the 2017-21 Twins ’consistency and pitched as his typically strong along the stretch with Toronto after last July’s change. However, he has stumbled on the 2022 season with an effectiveness of 5.38 and a low put rate of 20.7% in his career through 95 1/3 frames. His rotation partner, low-season free agent signing Yusei Kikuchi, has had similar struggles in the first season of a three-year contract. Hyun Jin Ryu was lost during the season due to Tommy John surgery. Injuries have prevented Nate Pearson from being taken to the pile.
Of course, these shortcomings don’t fall directly on Montoyo’s shoulders, but he will be responsible for the struggles of those long-awaited collaborators and the team’s recent wave of often reduced losses. He becomes the third solo coach fired this season, as both Joe Girardi (Phillies) and Joe Maddon (Angels) were fired earlier this year.
At least in terms of record wins and losses, Montoyo will go on to become one of the most successful managers fired in recent memory. Despite taking over in the final stages of a 2019 rebuild, he led the Jays to an even record of 236-236 in their more than three seasons at work. Prior to his stint with the Jays, bilingual Montoyo was one of the most successful minor league coaches in the history of the Rays franchise, and also spent four seasons as a bench coach in Tampa Bay. Given this history and his trajectory, it is reasonable that he may find himself in progress for some training searches and / or low season managers, if his desire is to return directly to a shelter, of course.