Toronto Blue Jays: Bad timing to start a rebuild

Amidst the discussion of which direction might be best for the Toronto Blue Jays to take going forward, would staying the course be a logical option?

The Toronto Blue Jays have an old big league roster and a minor league system that is heavier on the lower end than the upper end. Not to mention they are a year and a half away from losing their best player to free agency.

Looking at their current situation, in the challenge for a Wild Card spot, the logical next step seems to be to trade veterans and take a step back. Maybe not a full scale, scorched earth rebuild, but at least a situation where the team is getting assets back for players like Josh Donaldson, instead of watching him leave for nothing and being forced into a rebuild rather than choosing to start one.

However, team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins have taken a more open minded approach, where it appears they will try to make good baseball deals regardless of what side of the fence it lands on (“going for it” or “rebuilding”) and continue to focus on improving the team’s farm system.

So let’s look at this objectively.  What exactly are the benefits to staying the course and retooling, rather than taking it on the chin and starting the rebuilding phase right now?