Timing is everything and in the case of this survey, the results may have been much different had it taken place following this week’s flurry of Toronto Blue Jays activity.

The Jays handing George Springer the biggest contract in franchise history is only going to ramp up interest in a team that’s on its way up.

As we’ve seen with the Raptors over the last half-decade, winning — and even the anticipation of winning — is what drive interest and the Jays might become the hot ticket in town once again if things come together on the field as many expect they could.

Will it rival the early 1990s?

For that to happen, they’ll have to return to Toronto and be able to cross the border, so first things first.

There’s no shortage of Blue Jays storylines on and off the field these days, and you had your say on all of them.

43—How did the Blue Jays playing games in Buffalo affect your interest in the team?

Not at all—56%

It wasn’t the same—34%

Won’t care until they’re back—10%

This one doesn’t surprise me too much. In trying to deal with a pandemic, people seemed to either consume sports as an escape or withdraw a little bit with obvious real life issues to tend to. Nothing against Buffalo, but watching the Jays play a shortened 60-game season in a minor-league ballpark in front of zero fans just wasn’t the same.

44—The Blue Jays making the playoffs last year means what for this year?

A stepping stone towards a long playoff run—65%

A fluke in a crazy season—28%

Here comes the AL East!—7%

Here’s betting a good portion of that 28 per cent clicking on fluke would change that opinion now, but that’s just some good old recency bias at play. It was very clearly a great stepping stone season, but progress in sports isn’t always linear so there’s always a chance they could take a step back, no matter how good the roster looks. There’s no doubt, however, that they’re a legit postseason contender now, expanded playoffs or not.

45—Who’s the one player most integral to the Blue Jays’ success?

Bo Bichette—51%

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.—27%

Hyun-Jin Ryu—14%

Cavan Biggio—5%

Other—4%

Pick your poison here. Bo Bichette has only played 75 career games and the organization isn’t fully committed to him as the long-term shortstop just yet, but there’s nothing wrong with shifting to the other side of second base and being viewed as Robbie Alomar 2.0. I’m going to assume the 4 per cent “other” is mostly Nate Pearson votes and I may just agree with that choice.

46—After committing to a physical transformation, is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. poised to have a breakout year?

Yes—78%

No—22%

Much has been made about Vladdy Jr.’s physique at such a young age, but the message seems to have finally gotten through to the soon-to-be 22-year-old that his work away from the field is just as important as what he does in the batter’s box. The thing is, the key to unlocking Guerrero’s all-star future is a swing change to get the ball in the air more and take advantage of his prodigious pop. He’s going to have a good 2021 season, but the best will still be yet to come as he figures out major-league pitching.

47—A new ballpark could be on the horizon at some point. What’s the best option?

New stadium on the lakefront—50%

Tear down the Dome and build a new stadium there—26%

Completely renovate the Dome—24%

Based on the logistics of everything, the best bet is that the Jays go through a lengthy process of trying to figure out if the current SkyDome location will work, before deviating to a new plot of land somewhere along the lakefront. Just take a look at San Francisco’s ballpark on the water and tell me Jays ownership isn’t interested in making a mark on the city in the same way.

48—How important is it for the new ballpark to have a retractable roof?

Nothing more important—45%

I’ll go either way—42%

Waste of money—13%

Twenty years ago, I would’ve say there’s nothing more important. But if they can get away with it in Minnesota with Target Field, which opened in 2010, I guess they could technically go roofless anywhere. Given the likely appetite to use it as an entertainment facility in the winter, expect a retractable roof. 

49—If a new ballpark gets built, will you go to more games?

Yes—50.1%

No—49.9%

This one was so close that we couldn’t even scrap the decimal. This one is interesting because I’d be willing to bet that winning is baked into this answer. If the Jays are a 95-win team when a new ballpark opens, many fans will likely attempt to get to more games initially. If they’re a .500 ballclub, they’ll stay away.

50—Is Charlie Montoyo the right manager to take the Jays to the World Series?

Jury’s still out—63%

No—22%

Yes—15%

The manager’s impact is over-stated as is, especially with the analytically driven way the Blue Jays are doing things. Yes, there are still “feel” moves that a manager will have to make in-game, but a lot of the pitching plans are mapped out in advance and take relatively little thought if the game is going the way it was expected to. Make no mistake, however, with Montoyo’s three-year deal expired at the end of 2021 and only a club option left, the front office will be keeping a close eye on how he keeps the clubhouse together and results will matter.

51—Do you think Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins are the right leadership team for the Jays?

Still not sure—42%

Yes—34%

No—24%

Once again, I’d bet the results here are significantly different if George Springer and a $150 million commitment were known. The Shapiro regime has taken a ton of heat during their tenure, but a lot of them was them stepping in it from a public relations point of view and failing to maximize some of the few valuable assets on the roster like Josh Donaldson and Aaron Sanchez. That seemed to distract many from the excellent work they’ve done building up the farm system and some shrewd teardown trades — panned at the time, the Marcus Stroman trade will look like a coup when Simeon Woods Richardson shows up — that have left them with the financial flexibility needed to lure a player like Springer.

52—How many more years are you going to give the current Blue Jays management?

1-2 years—56%

3-4 years—39%

4-plus years—5%

Rogers just gave Mark Shapiro five more years, so things aren’t changing anytime soon. Expect GM Ross Atkins to quietly get a new contract extension this year, as well.

53—Do you think Jays ownership will spend what it takes to make the team successful?

Yes—50.08%

No—49.92%

Well, well, well. The question now isn’t whether ownership will spend to make the team successful, but will they spend to keep it together in a few years when Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and every other young player they’ve developed needs a new contract?

54—Would the Jays be more successful if they were sold?

No—62%

Yes—38%

There’s a love-hate relationship with Jays ownership in this city, but when you look around baseball at some of the other situations, Rogers’ wealth provides stability that is rare. Would a deep-pocketed individual owner like new Mets boss Steve Cohen be more fun and connect the club better to the city of Toronto? Maybe. But there’s a benefit to the stability, especially now that Rogers is proving they will put resources back into the roster when the time is right.​