Why are the Blue Jays playing Socrates Brito and Alen Hanson instead of calling up Anthony Alford? I thought the whole point of the Kevin Pillar trade was to make room for our prospects.
-- Jared W., Burlington, Ontario

The Blue Jays seem intent on making Anthony Alford earn his promotion to the big league club. This isn't a service-time issue, nor a lack of roster space. It's about wanting to see consistent production at Triple-A Buffalo and being rewarded for it. Alford has all the tools required, but he's still coming off a season in which he posted a .656 OPS at Buffalo, so the club seems to believe an extended run of success would do him some good.

The Sócrates Brito and Alen Hanson part of this equation is more difficult to explain. Manager Charlie Montoyo said he wants to see what they can do, but it seems surprising that the Blue Jays are willing to sacrifice at-bats from some of their younger players to make it happen. The reality is that both Brito and Hanson are out of options, and if they don't perform, these likely will turn into short-term auditions. Alford's time is coming, but some additional patience is required.

Now that Pillar is gone, who is likely to be traded before the Deadline, and what kind of return can the Blue Jays expect?
-- @Takito09

Things should slow down for the Blue Jays' front office after a chaotic first week and a half to the season. There will be some minor tinkering, but the heavy lifting has been done until closer to midway through the year, when the club has a better idea of where it sits in the standings and what the market value is for some of the veteran players.

Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Ken Giles seem like logical trade candidates, and with club control through 2020, there should be added value to be found if they have strong starts. Justin Smoak, Matt Shoemaker and Clay Buchholz are possible candidates as well. A goal for this organization should be trying to acquire as many young assets as possible and more deals later this summer will be a way to get it done. Toronto's trade season has been put on hold for now, but it's far from over.

Are the offensive struggles right now an individual-player issue or a problem with the team's approach?
-- Nathen B.

The lack of offense isn't tied to a specific strategic flaw, but it's pretty clear that everyone in the lineup has been trying to do too much. One day, it seems like too many players are swinging for the fences. The next, the club is taking far too many called third strikes to overcompensate for a lack of plate discipline. Tuesday's game vs. Boston saw everyone relax just a bit after a hitter's meeting, and suddenly some players were taking singles and going the other way.

The lineup isn't going to stay this underwhelming all season, but the way in which the Blue Jays struggled shouldn't come as a total surprise. Teoscar Hernández, Randal Grichuk, Billy McKinney and even Smoak are streaky hitters who strike out a lot when things aren't going well. The issues are masked when others in the lineup are hitting; they become even more glaring when everyone is swinging a cold bat. This isn't the only week we're going to be talking about strikeouts.

Are the Blue Jays overthinking things? They are constantly shifting players in and out and up and down in the order. Wouldn't some sort of regularity help them find a groove?
-- @Bookemdann01

It depends on who you ask. A more traditional baseball mind will tell you there is real value in continuity. Former Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston rarely changed his lineup regardless of who was streaking and who was slumping. He felt players needed to have the comfort of coming to work every day knowing where they'd be hitting.

That line of thinking has become dated in today's game, and frankly, the players need to adjust. Veterans might find it challenging, because they're used to things being a certain way, but younger players are more adaptable and the Blue Jays have those in abundance. Over time, the value of specific hitter vs. pitcher matchups and periodic rest should become more apparent. A changing lineup isn't Toronto's biggest issue right now, but it does make for an easy excuse.

Was it a mistake to let Dwight Smith Jr. go? Do modern analytics devalue a player like him? I think he can put up a good batting average, but his OPS might be limited.
-- Michael P., Edmonton, Alberta

Dwight Smith Jr., who was designated for assignment this spring, got off to a decent start with the Orioles, but the Blue Jays had too many options in the outfield to spend much time overthinking this. There's only so much playing time to go around and Hernandez, McKinney and Grichuk were all being prioritized, Pillar was still around and Alford was waiting in the wings. Was it a mistake? Time will tell, but personally, I'd want to prioritize more power and a better on-base percentage from a corner-outfield spot, so there shouldn't be too much to worry about here.