Ross Atkins and co. probably have a few more moves in store in the coming months, which at the moment mainly revolve around Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker. Whether or not either player will don a Jays uniform in the near future remains to be determined, but given the current roster, regardless of whether they add key players this winter, there will be a number of roster battles during Spring Training.
The Jays have quite a few players lined up for the 2026 roster. While there is still no obvious second baseman, shortstop or right fielder given the free agent front and the current carousel of players who can play multiple positions like Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Andres Gimenez, there are internal options available if the front office strikes on multiple fronts this winter. That doesn’t seem likely given how aggressive the Jays brass is out of the gate, but never say never.
Who has options?
Davis Schneider has two options available to him, and there’s a chance he could start the year in Buffalo depending on who the Jays add this offseason. If the Jays walk Bichette and give the second base reps to Ernie Clement, Schneider will likely take a bench spot and become the backup middle infielder with some reps in the corners of the outfield if necessary. Bichette’s return would make the bench situation a little more difficult for Schneider, as Clement and Barger would potentially split more time at third base, and it could be a Spring Training battle between Schneider, Joey Loperfido and Jonatan Clase (more on him later) for bench spots.
What’s not to like about Davis Schneider 🫶🥲
On the pitching side, Trey Yesavage has all three of his minor league options available after receiving a late-season call-up in 2025. He’ll probably only return to Buffalo if he struggles in his official rookie season, but he’ll get some runway to work through the setbacks and bumps he’ll encounter in 2026.
In the bullpen, Louie Varland and Brendon Little have one option left, while Mason Fluharty and Paxton Schultz each have two to play with. Coming in behind is Braydon Fisher, who has three to work with, so the Jays have some wiggle room if they make some additions to the relief corps and move a few pitchers to Triple-A. Schultz is the most likely candidate at the bottom of the totem pole, while it could be a wait-and-see scenario for Fluharty, Little and Fisher, although the Jays will likely DFA or move someone out of options (which you’ll see below) before moving any of these arms.
In terms of player position in the farm system, Brandon Valenzuela just joined the 40-man roster, and he will enter the 2026 roster with all three options.
Who has no options?
There are a few interesting names that have no options heading into the new year – with the exception of locks on the active roster like Guerrero, Varsho, Kirk, etc.
Clement has zero options to work with, but I would consider him a lock heading into 2026 after his efforts in the regular season and postseason run. He may not have a defined role in current times, as Bichette’s flow and whether he returns could play a big part in that, but he will be on the active roster during the new campaign.
Behind Clement, both Tyler Heineman and Leo Jimenez have also been ruled out.
ROSTER MOVES: 🔹 INF Leo Jiménez and OF Joey Loperfido selected for Triple-A
Speaking of Clase, the speedy outfielder is also out of options and will be on the outside looking in when it comes to the roster shot. His biggest competitors will be Loperfido, Lukes and Myles Straw as all four are looking for a spot on the bench. Straw likely has the advantage of being a lock given his experience, defensive abilities and strong 2025 season, but the battle between Loperfido, Lukes and Clase could come down to the wire, especially if the Jays want to keep Clase as a defensive replacement/late-inning starter with his plus speed.
Turning the focus to the bullpen, the Jays will have a few players on the 40-man roster who are out of options.
Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl fit into this category, and their spots on the Opening Day roster likely come down to what the Jays do on the free agent front this winter to improve the relief corps. The Jays will also get Yimi Garcia back in the fold, while some internal candidates in Fluharty and Fisher excelled last season, meaning a roster spot out of the gate this time isn’t guaranteed for Nance or Bruihl.
Also of note, MiLB signing Rodolfo Castro is out of minor league options.
Difficult to predict
Options may come into play this spring when it comes to Opening Day roster spots, and we all know players will split time between the major leagues and the minors based on performance and injuries over a full season. The Blue Jays could also add some players to make the roster battles even tougher for those on the fence, such as Clase, Jimenez and Loperfido.
That will all be clear in February/March, and some of the players mentioned above could be let go (released, DFAs, or traded) before then, although the Jays have two open spots on the 40-man roster to play with before things get to that point.
PRESENTED BY OFF THE ROSTER
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