"The time is not, ‘It’s going to happen’ The time is now" – Blue Jays manager John Schneider says club needs to get rolling amid slow start to year

It has not been the season that the Toronto Blue Jays anticipated entering 2024. After a disappointing postseason appearance last year, it was expected that the squad would come into the new year motivated to prove themselves. Instead, it has been a rather underwhelming start so far and it's clear that something needs to change.

"Should the Blue Jays sell? @jaysonst | #MLBNow | #MLBNowShowdown" - @MLBNow

Entering Friday's action, the Toronto Blue Jays sit 4th in the American League East with a 15-17 record. Although they are only 5.5 games behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles, the squad has been in a slump. Over their past 10 games, Toronto has posted a disappointing 3-7 record, something that has caught the attention of the front office and team staff.

"The time is now. The time is not, ‘It’s going to happen.’ The time is now," Toronto manager John Schneider told the media on Friday.

As the Jays enter their weekend matchup against the Washington Nationals, there is a clear sense of pressure for the team to get rolling before they continue to fall out of contention.

It has only been one month of the season so far, however, given the trajectory that the team is trending, it's clear that something needs to change. Stars such as George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette have all been underwhelming to this point. The trio will need to step up if the club has any hope of reaching the playoffs this season.

John Schneider's message about the Blue Jays was drastically different earlier this week

Although Schneider spoke with some urgency prior to Toronto's matchup against the Washington Nationals on Friday, it was considerably different than earlier this week. After concerns were raised about the current state of the team, Schneider said that it was only May and that he hoped that the fanbase would show some patience.

"It took two whole days for John Schneider to contradict himself" - @FAmmiranteTFJ

It remains to be seen if John Schneider's call to arms will spark something for the lineup, or if something more drastic needs to occur. The Toronto Blue Jays could look to make a trade to bring in additional talent, or eventually consider moving on from some of their veteran contracts.