Toronto Blue Jays fire manager Charlie Montoyo

Toronto Blue Jays fire manager Charlie Montoyo

The Toronto Blue Jays have fired manager Charlie Montoyo on Wednesday, as first reported by The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal. Bench coach John Schneider is expected to take over as interim manager, MLB Network‘s Jon Morosi reported.

Charlie Montoyo has been fired as manager of the Blue Jays, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 13, 2022

John Schneider named #BlueJays manager for balance of 2022 season. Casey Candaele elevated to interim bench coach. @Ken_Rosenthal was first to report Charlie Montoyo’s firing. @MLBNetwork @FAN590

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 13, 2022

Montoyo, who was hired prior to the 2019 season, went an even 236-236 with the ball club, including a playoff appearance in the COVID-shortened 2020. It marked their only playoff run under Montoyo’s guidance — though it got swept in the Wild Card round in two contests by the eventual-American League champion Tampa Bay Rays.

Despite capping off the 2021 season by winning 25 of its final 35 games and finishing 91-71 — tied for the sixth-best record in franchise history and the best since 2015 — the Blue Jays still finished fourth in the AL East and narrowly missed the postseason. Toronto ended nine games back of the first-place Rays (100-62) and one-game behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who tied for second in the division, and both appeared in the wild card game.

Montoyo becomes the third manager fired this season — joining Joe Girardi (Philadelphia Phillies) and Joe Maddon (Los Angeles Angels). Toronto entered 2022 with World Series expectations and have been considerably underwhelming, even though it’s still four games above .500 (46-42) 88 games into the season. With MLB’s amended playoff format, the Blue Jays would be in the playoffs as the sixth-and-final American League squad; they’re 1.5 games back of the top Wild Card spot (Rays – 47-40) and one game back of Boston (47-41).

Conversely, they’re a half-game ahead of the surging Seattle Mariners (45-42), who have won eight straight (at the time of this publishing); they’re also two games ahead of both the Baltimore Orioles, who have won nine straight at 44-44, and the Cleveland Guardians (43-43).

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The Jays have the fifth-best offense (111 wRC+) but have dealt with instability and injuries in the rotation behind Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman. They’re bullpen also sports the ninth-worst ERA (4.26), fifth-worst FIP (4.24) and the fifth-lowest fWAR (0.6) in the majors.

This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for details.

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