Gregg Zaun isn't holding back on John Schneider or the Blue Jays' clubhouse culture.

The former Blue Jays catcher questioned whether Schneider actually has the authority to have difficult conversations with Toronto's biggest stars.

Zaun specifically pointed to Schneider's long history managing Vladimir Guerrero Jr., dating back to Toronto's minor-league system.

"You also have to have a guy at the helm that has some street cred, not just living on the fact that he's been Vladdy's caddy since the minor leagues," Zaun said on The Raw Mike Richards Show.

He referenced comments Schneider had made previously about avoiding conflict with Guerrero.

"He said it himself, 'Oh, we don't want to piss Vladdy off. We don't want to upset him.' Really? Why?" Zaun said. "How do you not have the ability and the relationship with your star player, having managed him all the way through the minor leagues, to walk into a room, in a closed door meeting, and have those tough conversations?"

Why Zaun thinks the whole culture needs an overhaul

Guerrero's own struggles have played a massive role in Toronto's disappointing season, but Zaun believes the issue runs through the entire clubhouse.

"I look at the Jays as a whole, I look at the culture of the Jays. They're more worried about home run jackets than they are getting a guy over, getting a guy in, hitting a cutoff man, calling the right pitches when it matters most," Zaun said. "There's been no conversation about any of those key things."

He believes real change has to start at the top, with clear expectations and real consequences attached when those expectations aren't met.

"If they don't look in the dugout and know that there's a tough conversation coming after the game, and it doesn't have to be in public, it shouldn't be in public in fact," Zaun said. "But these tough conversations have to be happening. Why are they not happening?"

Toronto is all but mathematically eliminated at this point, sitting 3.5 games back of a wild-card spot with just five games remaining.

That disappointing finish gives GM Ross Atkins plenty to consider this offseason, including whether Schneider returns as manager in 2027.

Zaun's comments add real public pressure to a conversation that was likely already happening privately within the organization.

Whether Atkins agrees with Zaun's read on the clubhouse culture, or sees this season's struggles as rooted elsewhere, is a decision that will shape the direction of this franchise heading into next year.