Before the off-season began, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays was what they would do with their surplus of MLB-ready young position players.
Although the franchise lacks blue-chip prospects, a combination of internal development and trades made during a disappointing 2024 season provided them with a selection of players making the league minimum with fewer than one year of MLB service time and experience at the game’s highest level.
After 2024 concluded, the team was expected to draw on this cohort to facilitate trades for win-now pieces. While the Blue Jays shipped Spencer Horwitz to the Cleveland Guardians to bring back Andrés Giménez and Nick Sandlin, this group has hardly thinned.
Although the arrival of pitchers and catchers to spring training does not prohibit the Blue Jays from making further moves, the heavy lifting of their roster building has been done and their surplus remains.
Now that the dust has settled, it’s worth checking in to see where these players stand in the organization.
Projected role: UTIL/DH vs. RHP
How the off-season changed his standing: The addition of Giménez blocked Wagner’s path to a full-time role at second base, arguably the position that fits him best.
At the same time, because Wagner can also play at either corner of the infield — and the team lacks a full-time DH — playing time isn’t going to be an issue if he can hit.
Fair expectations for 2025: Projection systems are varied on Wagner, ranging from a 93 wRC+ to a 116 wRC+ on FanGraphs. He’s a difficult player to interpret because much of his most impressive minor-league work came when he was older than much of his competition, and his success at the plate is predicated on excellent swing decisions rather than loud tools.
He has multiple roads to a significant role in the Blue Jays lineup, but that might say more about the team being one bat short than the certainty of making a profound offensive impact.
Projected role: Backup INF
How the off-season changed his standing: Much like Wagner, Jiménez had the possibility of a starting job at second base closed thanks to the Giménez acquisition, but he looks to inhabit the role that was always most likely for him entering the off-season.
Because the infielder is out of options and he can handle both middle-infield positions defensively, his chances of starting 2025 on the Blue Jays roster were always extraordinarily high. With just 63 MLB games under his belt and relatively modest prospect pedigree, he seemed destined for the bench, though.
What’s changed is that he’ll need an injury to Giménez or Bo Bichette to break free from the utility middle-infielder role instead of being a dark horse in a spring training competition to slot in at second.
Fair expectations for 2025: There was a time when being the second-string shortstop on the Blue Jays meant plenty of time on the bench and a little bit of run at other positions. Bichette is no longer a paragon of durability, which means that Jiménez may get an extended look at some point.
It’s tough to imagine he carves out a massive role without injuries hitting, but he could take a step toward proving he belongs at the MLB level long-term.
Projected role: DH/Corner OF vs. LHP
How the off-season changed his standing: Considering the struggles Schneider encountered in 2024, he seemed like a prime candidate for a fresh start, but moving the outfielder would’ve been selling at a low point in his value.
The addition of Anthony Santander means that Schneider won’t be competing for an everyday role in the outfield, but that was never a realistic expectation for a guy coming off a season in which he hit .191/.282/.343.
Fair expectations for 2025: Because Schneider was electric offensively in 2023 and well below average in 2024, he feels like a difficult player to pin down.
Still, he’s not guaranteed to be on one side of the spectrum or the other. It’s plausible that he’ll provide an approximately league-average bat with a little thump in a bench role in 2025. That seems like a fair place to set the bar.
Projected role: Daulton Varsho fill-in/4th OF
How the off-season changed his standing: Lukes always seemed likely to hold down centre field early in the season, and the addition of Miles Straw shouldn’t change that, although it could mean more rest for Lukas against southpaws.
After Varsho returns, things will get a bit murkier, but if Lukes looks anything like he did at the end of 2024 (132 wRC+ with more BB than K in 91 PA), he won’t be the odd man out.
Bringing Santander aboard prevented Lukes from making a run at a left-field role, but that was unlikely to be in the cards, given his limited power.
Fair expectations for 2025: Lukes looked excellent in the closing games of 2024, but he doesn’t run well (37 percentile sprint speed) or hit the ball hard (max exit velocity of 104.3 mph).
He’ll give the Blue Jays competitive at-bats when called upon and won’t embarrass himself if asked to start for a few weeks at a time, but the 30-year-old’s ceiling isn’t particularly high, and he has plenty to prove.
Approximately average offence — driven by solid on-base skills — and passable defence are likely in whatever role he plays.
Projected role: triple-A outfield depth
How the off-season changed his standing: Loperfido is among the players whose prospects were most affected by Toronto’s off-season activity.
The Blue Jays signing Santander prevented him from battling for the left-field spot or forming a platoon with Schneider.
Daulton Varsho’s early-season absence also might’ve created a brief opportunity in centre, but Lukes appears to have jumped Loperfido on the depth chart, and the addition of Straw is crowding that position for now.
Fair expectations for 2025: Loperfido could theoretically shake things up with an outstanding spring, but a ticket to Buffalo appears to be in his future.
Although he’s entering his age-26 season, he has only played 71 games at the triple-A level and still has something to learn/prove there.
Projected role: triple-A 3B/outfield depth
How the off-season changed his standing: Santander’s presence means Barger won’t be able to compete for a starting outfield spot unless spring training injuries open up a slot.
Grabbing the third-base job isn’t impossible, considering it is currently held by Ernie Clement, who is coming off a solid season but doesn’t have an unimpeachable track record. The gap between the two looks significant for now, as Clement is coming off a 2.2 fWAR season while Barger managed a -0.3 fWAR mark.
If the Blue Jays had signed Alex Bregman, Barger would’ve had an even tougher road to playing time.
Fair expectations for 2025: Unlike Loperfido, Barger has a fair amount of triple-A experience (153). It’s possible he’s learned all he can there over three stints between 2022 and 2024.
Barger has compelling tools, and there are projection systems that like him a lot (ZiPS has him down for a 107 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR in 2025), but he may have to lie in wait for some time until an opportunity comes.
It will be interesting to see if he can convert more of his potential into production the next time he gets a chance.
Projected role: triple-A outfield depth
How the off-season changed his standing: Adding another centre fielder in Straw didn’t help Clase, but his age (22) and relative lack of triple-A experience (94 games in one season) meant he was likely to head to the minors, no matter what.
Clase seemed like a strong trade candidate because of the combination of youth, speed and defensive potential he offers. His value around the league would’ve been higher than many of the others on this list, but the Blue Jays opted to keep him around.
Fair expectations for 2025: It wouldn’t be shocking if Clase spent the entire season at triple-A or made small MLB cameos when needed.
If the Blue Jays call on him to play a major role in 2025, he will have made an unexpected leap in his development, or things will have gone wrong for several other players.
Projected role: triple-A INF depth/future starting INF to dream on
How the off-season changed his standing: By not adding a third baseman, the Blue Jays left the door open for a Martinez breakout, but that’s a difficult thing to count on from a player whose 2024 was largely erased due to a PED suspension.
If the team ends up liking him better at second base, Giménez has that locked down for now, but Martinez’s carrying tool is his bat, and the Blue Jays will find a spot for it if they need to.
Martinez isn’t close enough to the Blue Jays’ immediate plans for the team’s moves to affect him too much. He needs to show up and mash at triple-A and let the rest take care of itself.
Fair expectations for 2025: Martinez has already logged 129 games at triple-A over a two-season span, but barring a spring surprise, that’s where he’ll be to start 2025.
It’s notable that he’s never dominated at the level. His .869 OPS in 2024 looks stellar, but it came in a fantastic offensive environment and was good for a good but not unbelievable 120 wRC+.
Martinez should be able to return to triple-A, best that number and put himself in consideration for a callup at some point in 2025. If he can’t manage that, his status as a top prospect in the organization will be in danger.
