Mark DeRosa called players-only meeting to address Blue Jays struggles

The Toronto Blue Jays entered the season looking like a legitimate threat to win the AL East, but they are off to a horrendous start. Coming off a four-game series in which they were swept by the New York Yankees, the Blue Jays are 9-17 and already 9.5 games behind the division-leading Boston Red Sox. They lost every game to New York by two runs or less, but winning close games is the only way to stay in contention in a tough division.

Following Sunday’s 3-2 loss, veteran infielder Mark DeRosa reportedly called a players-only meeting to address some of the team’s growing concerns.

“There’s just a bad vibe creeping in here and we need to address it,” DeRosa said, via the NY Daily News. “It’s just weird after spring training when we had a swagger about us.”

The Blue Jays added a number of high-profile pieces over the offseason, and the results have been consistent with a common theme that is arising across sports. Spending money and making big moves doesn’t necessarily mean a team will click. For evidence of that, look no further than the 2011 and 2012 Red Sox or the Los Angeles Lakers that were just swept from the postseason.

Losing Jose Reyes has been a major blow, but Toronto has to find a way to remain in the hunt until its All-Star shortstop returns. Reyes is not expected back until sometime around the All-Star break, so that will be no easy task. The fact that DeRosa felt a players-only meeting was necessary before the first month of the season is not a great sign. Inking a deal with this team may not have been worth losing his Natitude card.

H/T Hardball Talk