MINNEAPOLIS -- One question will hang over the Blue Jays¡¯ offseason, which began on Wednesday with a sudden thud after they were swept in the American League Wild Card Series.

Why, with José Berríos steamrolling through the Twins¡¯ lineup, did they make the switch to Yusei Kikuchi?

Berr¨ªos had just walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth with the score still tied, 0-0, when manager John Schneider strolled to the mound to make the surprise move. Kikuchi¡¯s renaissance as a starter was one of the stories of the season for the Blue Jays, but he hadn¡¯t come out of the bullpen since late 2022. Still, Toronto targeted this early pivot to force the Twins¡¯ hand with their platoon-heavy lineup. It was, in theory, the chess move that would flip the deadlocked game.

Well¡­ checkmate Twins.

Kikuchi allowed the next three batters to reach, putting the Blue Jays behind for the final time in 2023, as they were handed a 2-0 loss at Target Field.

¡°Obviously, everybody was surprised,¡± said Vladimir Guerrero Jr., through a club interpreter. ¡°Everybody was surprised with the decision, but there are things you cannot control. You can ask yourself many times, but it¡¯s not our decision. We were surprised.¡±

Berr¨ªos, whose reputation as a professional stretches back to his days pitching in this very stadium, said after the loss that it was frustrating for him as a competitor. Much like Kikuchi, Berr¨ªos bounced back in a major way this season, rediscovering the form that had made him one of baseball¡¯s most reliable pitchers for years.

The Blue Jays were obviously trying to target a matchup here -- this move wasn¡¯t made without internal reasoning -- but Berr¨ªos couldn¡¯t explain what that was as his teammates said their goodbyes around him.

¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± Berr¨ªos said. ¡°Other than that, I can¡¯t control that. Like I said, I did my best for those first 12 batters.¡±

The frustration was clear on Berr¨ªos¡¯ face and in his eyes. He¡¯d just watched his old team, still full of many meaningful people in his life, celebrate on the field he once called home. Berr¨ªos had pitched to the absolute height of his talent, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. Give him more runway and this could have turned into a true moment for him, saving the Blue Jays from the brink of elimination. But now we¡¯ll never know.

This decision is not Schneider¡¯s alone, of course. That¡¯s not how this works. Schneider is the messenger, and the one who has to answer for the decision under the glare of bright lights after the loss, but a matter of strategy like this is determined by a much larger group, including coaches and the front office.

¡°I don¡¯t have control of that. I control what I can control,¡± Berr¨ªos said. ¡°I pitched my [butt] off from the first pitch to the last pitch.¡±

The veterans of the Blue Jays¡¯ clubhouse, like George Springer and Brandon Belt, also recognized the obvious. Regardless of a pitching decision, Toronto scored zero runs after posting just one in the series opener. There¡¯s no way to think yourself out of that box, regardless of how well-executed a strategy is.

Both veterans praised the Blue Jays¡¯ bullpen, which emerged as one of baseball¡¯s best in 2023 behind an exceptional rotation. This pitching staff, as a whole, is one we¡¯ll talk about for years -- the perfect storm of health, consistency and upside that deserved the shot to take a long run into October.

Across the diamond, the Twins aren¡¯t questioning the move for a moment.

Berr¨ªos had blown through their lineup with his best stuff, pitching with incredible confidence. The move to anyone else, even if they were sharp that night, was a welcome sight.

¡°I mean, I would have left [Berr¨ªos] in,¡± said the Twins¡¯ Kyle Farmer, who entered the game late. ¡°He was throwing pretty well. His slider was looking good, his fastball as well. He was getting us out. And fortunately for us, we got the big knock [off Kikuchi] when we needed it by Carlos [Correa].¡±

Hindsight can be a dangerous thing. If Kikuchi had turned around the Twins¡¯ lineup and held them scoreless through six before handing off to the back end of the bullpen in a series-saving win, then this move would be held up as a bold stroke of strategy that paid off.

That¡¯s not what happened, though, and as the Blue Jays stare down a long offseason filled with decisions that will determine the direction of this franchise, this will be one of the thoughts that continues to gnaw away.