MLB veteran Gregg Zaun didn’t hold back when discussing Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider, delivering a pointed critique of how Schneider has handled his relationship with the team’s biggest star.
Zaun, who caught for the Blue Jays from 2004 to 2008 and later worked as a Sportsnet analyst, didn’t mince words, suggesting Schneider has been “living on the fact that he’s been Vladdy Jr.’s caddie since the minor leagues.”
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Sep 7, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) looks on in the dugout before a game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The comment stems from frustration with Schneider’s approach to managing his star first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Zaun took issue with the idea that Schneider avoids upsetting Guerrero, and broadened his criticism to the overall culture surrounding the Blue Jays this season.
The relationship between the two dates back years. Schneider joined the organization as a catching instructor and managed the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Blue Jays in 2008 before climbing the ranks, eventually becoming the youngest manager in Vancouver Canadians history at age 30 in 2010.
He continued working through the minor league system before joining the major league coaching staff in 2019, then took over as interim manager in July 2022 before being named full-time manager that October — with Guerrero as a fixture throughout much of that development.
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A disappointing end to a promising run
The criticism comes at a particularly rough moment for Schneider and the Blue Jays. Just last year, he guided the team all the way to Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a run impressive enough to earn him a contract extension through 2028.
The ‘magic’ of John Schneider management. 🙄
They #BlueJays had 49 come-from-behind wins last year.
Schneider isn’t a baseball master tactician. He’s a guy who got lucky for one season.
The #BlueJays50 need to get rid of him immediately. https://t.co/3og4IllHqS
— Don Bradshaw (@RealDonBradshaw) September 22, 2026
But this season has told a very different story. On Monday, Toronto was officially eliminated from postseason contention following a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. That result makes the Blue Jays just the second team since the 2008 Colorado Rockies to reach the World Series one year and then miss the playoffs entirely — with a sub-.500 record — the very next season.
Toronto continues its series against Baltimore on Tuesday, looking to close out the year on a better note.
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