Pressure On: 1st half of campaign will be key for Blue Jays' future

With homegrown stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette in the final year of their contracts and a competitive window that's open, for now, the Toronto Blue Jays need to make a statement over the first half of the season.

The trade-deadline sell-off during last year's disappointing 74-88 campaign could be minor compared to what might transpire if the Blue Jays struggle over the next few months.

Setting a winning tone could help Toronto build for a potential return to the playoffs. Conversely, a poor first half may lead to trades so that players aren't lost to free agency, perhaps leading to a rebuilding process.

The pressure is on Canada's lone big-league team. The opener of the 162-game campaign is set for Thursday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles at 3:07 p.m. ET.

"I don't think there's any reason why we can't, if everything clicks, be one of the top teams in the AL East," said starting pitcher Kevin Gausman.

While the Blue Jays made a push for top-shelf free agents like Juan Soto and Roki Sasaki in the off-season, they ended up landing some players a tier below that level.

Slugger Anthony Santander signed a five-year deal, and closer Jeff Hoffman inked a three-year contract. Reliever Yimi Garcia is back on a two-year contract, and 40-year-old starter Max Scherzer signed a one-year deal.

Toronto was also active on the trade front, acquiring second baseman Andres Gimenez and reliever Nick Sandlin from the Cleveland Guardians.

"People talk about us missing out on free agents, and they forget that 29 other teams missed out on them too," manager John Schneider said in a recent availability. "We're happy with the guys we did acquire, and we're going to continue to try to get better."

The Blue Jays are hoping