By TYLER O’BRIEN
Columnist

The New York Yankees have changed the landscape of Major League Baseball, causing everyone to look in the mirror and decide: am I a contender or is it time to rebuild.

The Toronto Blue Jays are caught in the middle, with one year of Josh Donaldson left, this could be the last kick at the can for this core group. Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez are only under control through 2020, and the rest of the core is getting well into their 30s.

A Yankees lineup featuring Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will be imposing for any pitcher, but with the Jays bullpen being mostly unproven, outlasting the Yankees does not look promising.

With the St. Louis Cardinals looking to acquire Josh Donaldson, why not move him now for prospects.

The Cardinals are a winning organization, applauded across the baseball world for always being competitive while having a stocked farm system. These are the teams you want to trade with.

The Blue Jays’ front office staff has repeatedly said they want to compete, but have been slow to make a move this off-season to improve the team.

We have watched many quality outfielders get signed or traded, and although the Jays are always involved, nothing has come to fruition.

One big issue is the Jays farm system. Although the top-end talent is there with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the mid-level prospects do not intrigue many other teams.

Even if they want to make a move, they would seemingly have to part with one of their two top prospects to bring in the impact player they are looking for.

Guerrero Jr. and Bichette project to arrive in the MLB during the 2019-2020 season.

At this time Judge and Stanton will be hitting 30, which is the new 40 in baseball.

Would moving Donaldson and a few others to get younger be pushed against by casual fans?

No doubt it would be, but to the hardcore fans, it is obvious that if they keep pushing to make the playoffs, they will be met by the Bronx Bombers, and will not be ready to be successful once this group of Yankees passes their prime.

The Blue Jays must trade Donaldson and anyone else not in their future plans for prospects that are getting close to being MLB-ready in order to have sustained success…it will just have to wait until the Bronx Bombers get old again.