What we know – and don’t know – about the Blue Jays’ opening-day roster

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Months from now, when the Toronto Blue Jays’ season is on the road and the form of their roster seems to be completely different than anybody predicted, this would possibly all appear fairly trivial. It’ll positively appear distant.

So, earlier than we get too invested within the specifics of the Blue Jays’ opening-day roster, it’s value remembering gamers comparable to Gosuke Katoh, Zack Collins and Tayler Saucedo, all of whom started the season on Toronto’s big-league crew a yr in the past. Or the one making the bulletins, present White Sox bench coach Charlie Montoyo. In baseball, rosters are constructed to be tinkered with. The solely given is change.

But the early video games rely, too, and in an American League East division that options 5 aggressive groups, each benefit issues. With that in thoughts, the Blue Jays take the problem of constructing their opening-day roster significantly. So what if this group is destined to shift because the season unfolds? This group remains to be the most effective the Blue Jays have to supply proper now.

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In the times forward, the Blue Jays should finalize their 26-man roster, a gaggle that’ll be evenly cut up between pitchers and place gamers. Until then, let’s take inventory of what we all know – and don’t know – concerning the group of gamers that’ll fly north to St. Louis after the crew’s ultimate Grapefruit League sport Tuesday night:

POSITION PLAYERS
Locks (12): Alejandro Kirk, Danny Jansen, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Brandon Belt, Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio, Whit Merrifield, Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier, George Springer
Leading contenders (3): Otto Lopez, Nathan Lukes, Vinny Capra

Now that Addison Barger and Wynton Bernard are now not in big-league camp, the competitors right here appears comparatively simple.

Tactically talking, this final participant gained’t get many begins to start the yr, however ought to be capable to present a top quality at-bat towards left-handed pitching and pinch-run. Typically, the final participant on a crew’s bench ought to be versatile, and that’s clearly ideally suited always, however the flexibility of Biggio and Merrifield would additionally let the Blue Jays use this spot for extra of a specialist in the event that they wished – somebody who affords elite velocity, or energy or defence.

Capra bats right-handed, a optimistic on a crew that may wish to discover methods to enrich its new assortment of left-handed starters: Belt, Varsho and Kiermaier. Yet Capra is in camp as a non-roster invitee, that means the Blue Jays must choose his contract. Conversely, Lukes is already on the 40-man roster, however as a left-handed hitter he doesn’t complement the crew’s starters fairly as neatly.

At the intersection of these two candy spots is Lopez, a right-handed hitter who already has a 40-man spot. Plus, Lopez has arguably had the most effective spring of the three with a powerful exhibiting for Canada on the WBC to go together with stellar Grapefruit League play. That makes him the favorite to go north.

Of course, there’s at all times the possibility that the Blue Jays make a late-spring acquisition and fill this spot from outdoors the group. Barring a waiver declare or commerce, although, it’s down to those three, with Lopez seemingly within the lead.

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PITCHERS
Locks (12): Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Yusei Kikuchi, Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, Yimi Garcia, Tim Mayza, Anthony Bass, Adam Cimber, Trevor Richards
Leading contenders (4): Mitch White, Zach Pop, Nate Pearson, Jay Jackson

This final spot gave the impression to be White’s to lose, however a shoulder impingement delayed the beginning of his spring and he has but to look in a big-league sport. He nonetheless hasn’t been dominated out, but when he does begin the season on the IL, that would go away a gap for the Blue Jays.

Asked concerning the ultimate bullpen spot Friday evening, supervisor John Schneider stated a small group of pitchers are in competitors for it.

“A few. Probably three or four that are in the mix,” he stated. “We’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to how we’re going to open, but there’s guys that won’t start with us that are deserving to be up with us at some point. Really good teams have some tough conversations at this point in time, knowing that you have really good options that are sent to triple-A.”

Case in level: Trent Thornton and Zach Thompson, each of whom seem extra prone to be a part of the likes of Casey Lawrence and Drew Hutchison within the Blue Jays’ triple-A rotation.

Both Thornton and Thompson will possible see big-league time in 2023, however conventional lengthy relievers are now not seen as a necessity, which opens the door for Pearson, Jackson or Pop. The velocity Pearson affords is undoubtedly tempting, and he’s struck out 13 in 8.1 innings this spring, nevertheless it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Blue Jays ship him to triple-A – not less than to open the season.

In Jackson, they’ve a veteran in ring-chasing mode with a 95-96 mph fastball and a tough slider. He has impressed in camp this spring, with 13 strikeouts in 9.1 innings, and it’d now be a shock if he doesn’t contribute sooner or later in 2023.

But don’t overlook about Pop, who’s already on the 40-man roster, which can give him an edge over Jackson. As pitching coach Pete Walker not too long ago identified, there’s Clay Holmes-type upside for Pop, whose two-seam fastball averaged 96.5 mph final yr. So far this spring, he has six strikeouts in 4.1 innings of labor with only one earned run allowed. If that’s the final arm in your bullpen, you’re in a great place.

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