2008 Toronto Blue Jays season
| 2008 Toronto Blue Jays | |
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| Major League affiliations | |
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| Results | |
| Record | 86–76 (.531) |
| Divisional place | 4th |
| Other information | |
| Owner(s) | Rogers; Paul Godfrey (CEO) |
| General manager(s) | J. P. Ricciardi |
| Manager(s) | John Gibbons, Cito Gaston |
| Local television |
Rogers Sportsnet (Jamie Campbell, Pat Tabler, Rance Mulliniks, Darrin Fletcher, Sam Cosentino (Field Reporter)) (100 Games) CBC (Jim Hughson, Rance Mulliniks, Jesse Barfield) (24 Games) TSN (Rod Black, Pat Tabler) (20 Games) |
| Local radio | 590 AM |
| < Previous season Next season > | |
The 2008 Toronto Blue Jays season, the team's 32nd year of existence, saw the Blue Jays finish in fourth place in the American League East with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses for a .531 winning percentage, thus making this season the third consecutive winning season for the Jays, as well as being the highest win-loss record since their 2006 season.
General Manager J. P. Ricciardi maintained through the off-season that he was content with the Blue Jays' roster as it was. Nevertheless, he made a number of moves, two of which would likely have a significant effect on the team in the 2008 season. The team's acquisition of all-star shortstop David Eckstein was met with a mixed reception from fans and critics. Eckstein's role on the team would displace two of Toronto's most popular players from their regular roles; Reed Johnson as leadoff hitter and John McDonald as starting shortstop.
Eckstein was signed to fill the leadoff spot in the order which was void of a true leadoff man for much of 2007 due to the injury to Johnson. Johnson was released by the Blue Jays on March 23 and the LF position was given to Shannon Stewart who split time with Matt Stairs.
The other major move by the club in the off-season was the trade of third baseman Troy Glaus to the Cardinals for David Eckstein's teammate, Scott Rolen. The move was generally seen to be a major risk to both parties, as both players were dealing with injuries over the past several seasons. The move was also noted as being somewhat redundant, given the various similarities between the two players. Both hit for power, though Glaus slightly more so, both were approximately the same age, and both were prone to injury. Rolen was, however, a significantly better defender than Glaus.
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