RUNNING IT BACK
The Blue Jays will look to move beyond previous post-season disappointments with a group that largely resembles last year’s. An off-season of change never materialized. Instead, they are doubling down on their core. Brandon Belt and Matt Chapman are out, veteran slugger Justin Turner is in, but elsewhere it has been pretty much status quo
Blue Jays manager John Schneider revealed the team’s final bullpen decisions Wednesday, with Mitch White, Nate Pearson and Wes Parsons winning the remaining spots while Zach Pop and Yariel Rodriguez were optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Relievers Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) start the season on the 15-day injured list, while catcher Danny Jansen (finger) will be on the 10-day IL. Alek Manoah (shoulder) will also start on the IL, but possibly on the 60-day list to help clear a roster spot for slugger Daniel Vogelbach.
Here’s a closer look at the 26man roster with the regular season getting underway Thursday against the Rays in Tampa (all dollar figures in U.S. funds):
Position players
Alejandro Kirk, C
2023 stats .250 batting average, 8 home runs, 43 runs batted in 2024 salary $2.8 million
Will open the season as the undisputed No. 1 catcher after Jansen went down with a wrist injury in camp. The 2022 all-star will be looking for a bounceback season after disappointing results last year.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
2023 stats .264 BA, 26 HR, 94 RBI 2024 salary $19.9 million Coming off an impressive spring with seven extra-base hits in 41 at-bats. Guerrero has underwhelmed each of the last two seasons but could be poised for a big year with free agency looming after 2025.
Cavan Biggio, 2B/OF
2023 stats .235 BA, 9 HR, 40 RBI 2024 salary $4.21 million Expected to start at second base against right-handed pitching and will likely become an outfield option if any regulars get hurt. He’ll open the season as the No. 9 hitter with a career .345 on-base percentage.
Bo Bichette, SS
2023 stats .306 BA, 20 HR, 73 RBI 2024 salary $12.08 million Might have a batting title in his future. Last year, Bichette finished third in the AL in batting average and fourth with 175 hits. Guerrero has more power, but Bichette has proven to be the superior hitter across their first five seasons.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 3B/UT
2023 stats .242 BA, 6 HR, 37 RBI 2024 salary $7.5 million
The Jays’ most controversial addition of the off-season. Most of Kiner-Falefa’s value is on the defensive side, where he has a well-above average glove at multiple positions. The issue has been a lack of offence with a mediocre .660 career OPS.
Daulton Varsho, LF
2023 stats .220 BA, 20 HR, 61 RBI 2024 salary $5.65 million Looking to bounce back after an underwhelming first season with the Jays. Varsho offers value with his glove and baserunning, but hit seven fewer home runs in 2023 vs. the year prior, while his OPS fell from .745 to a below-average .674.
Kevin Kiermaier, CF
2023 stats .265 BA, 8 HR, 36 RBI 2024 salary $10.5 million Expected to depart via free agency, Kiermaier signed a one-year deal after his market failed to develop as expected. He returns to help the Jays form one of the best defensive units in baseball, but their offensive upside is limited.
George Springer, RF
2023 stats .258 BA, 21 HR, 72 RBI 2024 salary $24.17 million Was his 2023 season an outlier or a sign of things to come? We’re about to find out. The injury-plagued Springer stayed healthy last season, but the 21 homers were his lowest in a full season since 2015 and a .732 OPS was his worst.
Justin Turner, DH/1B/3B
2023 stats .276 BA, 23 HR, 96 RBI 2024 salary $13 million Arguably the only significant addition of the off-season, Turner will start most of his games at DH but also see time at first base, possibly even second and third. The 39-yearold also will open the year in the cleanup spot.
Brian Serven, C
2023 stats .199 BA, 5 HR, 20 RBI
(Triple-A)
2024 salary Approx. $750,000 Opening the year as Kirk’s backup, Serven is a placeholder until Jansen is ready to come off the IL. The Jays won’t expect much offence from Serven, a competent defender who will see limited action.
Ernie Clement, IF
2023 stats .380 BA, 1 HR, 10 RBIs 2024 salary Approx. $750,000 Forced his way onto the roster by batting .362 with five extra-base hits in 17 games this spring. That was enough to convince the Jays to trade Santiago Espinal to the Cincinnati Reds and hand the utility infielder role to the 28-year-old Clement.
Davis Schneider, 2B/LF
2023 stats .276 BA, 8 HR, 20 RBI 2024 salary Approx. $750,000 Last year’s rookie sensation is expected to start at second base or left field against left-handed pitching and could earn additional playing time with a strong showing.
Daniel Vogelbach, DH
2023 stats .233 BA, 13 HR, 48 RBI 2024 salary $2 million
Is Vogelbach here to stay, or just keeping the seat warm for Joey Votto? Vogelbach will start some games at DH against righties, but he’ll need to perform well to hold off Votto, who stayed behind in Florida to rehab an ankle injury.
Starting pitchers
Kevin Gausman, RHP 2023 stats 12-9, 3.16 earned-run average, 1.18 walks/hits per inning 2024 salary $22 million
The 32-year-old geared up a little too hard for his first opening-day assignment as a Blue Jay and the subsequent barking in his shoulder slowed him down, pushing back his first start. Gausman looked every bit himself in striking out seven Pittsburgh
Pirates in the spring finale Monday and will be limited in his first outing, but he’s unquestionably this team’s ace.
José Berríos, RHP
2023 stats 11-12, 3.65 ERA 1.19 WHIP 2024 salary $17,714,286
The right-hander bounced back from an awful ‘22 to show why the Jays gave him a seven-year extension two winters ago, finishing in the top 10 in ERA in the AL and winning a Gold Glove. He’ll become one of a very few Jays to start consecutive games, having been on the mound the last time they played (and removed rather controversially).
Chris Bassitt, RHP 2023 stats 16-8, 3.60 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
2024 salary
$22 million
After a rather auspicious debut in which he allowed home runs on two of the first three pitches he threw as a Jay, the veteran turned things around and became the team’s most reliable starter, throwing 200 innings across a league-leading 33 starts in ‘23. A similar season from the nine-year veteran is integral to the club’s success.
Yusei Kikuchi, LHP 2023 stats 11-6, 3.86 ERA,
1.27 WHIP
2024 salary $10 million
A terrible 2022 was followed by a tremendous 2023, and all the worries about the left-hander seemed to disappear. Then he put up a 16.43 ERA in three starts this spring, allowing five home runs in just 7 2⁄3 innings, and the questions came back. Which one is the real Kikuchi? The truth lies somewhere in the middle, but the stuff, as always, is off the charts.
Bowden Francis, RHP
2023 stats 1-0, 1 save, 1.73 ERA,
0.83 WHIP
2024 salary Approx. $750,000 The shoulder injury to Manoah opened the door and Francis blasted right through it, building on his sparkling numbers of last season. He allowed just 19 base runners over 18 2/3 spring innings to win a job in the rotation. The six-foot-five sophomore will be tested early — the Jays did their best to keep him out of leverage last year, but won’t be able to now.
Bullpen
Génesis Cabrera 2023 stats 2.66 ERA, 6 holds, 0.97 WHIP (with Toronto)
2024 salary $1,513,000 Acquired in a minor trade in late July after being designated for assignment by St. Louis, the left-hander found new life in the Jays bullpen and didn’t allow an earned run in his first 18 appearances. The 28-yearold got knocked around once, by Texas on Sept. 11, but otherwise posted a 1.17 ERA.
Yimi García
2023 stats 4.09 ERA, 19 holds, 3 saves, 1.24 WHIP
2024 salary $6,333,333
The veteran right-hander had a down-and-up 2023, giving up nine runs each in April and September, but posting a 3.02 ERA over the middle four months and was a highly reliable reliever with runners on base, allowing only 21 per cent of runners he inherited to score — a big part of the Jays’ league-leading 23 per cent rate. He’ll be called on to close some games early with Romano hurt.
Chad Green
2023 stats 5.25 ERA, 2 holds, 0 saves, 1.33 WHIP
2024 salary $10.5 million When Green was a New York Yankee, he was one of the best relievers you’d never heard of. Over the fiveyear period before hurting his elbow in 2022, the six-foot-three righty put up an astonishing WHIP of 0.96 while striking out 11.9 batters per nine innings. Recovery from Tommy John surgery meant he didn’t make his Jays debut until September, but he will play a major role in the back of the bullpen.
Tim Mayza
2023 stats 1.52 ERA, 22 holds,
1 save, 1.22 WHIP
2024 salary $3.59 million
The longest-serving Jay begins his eighth season with the club. The left-hander had a 2.67 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in his three seasons since 2019 Tommy John surgery. Last year, the 32-year-old didn’t allow a run to an AL team until Aug. 27.
Trevor Richards
2023 stats 4.95 ERA, 11 holds, 0 saves, 1.35 WHIP
2024 salary $2.15 million
The Silver Fox with the power changeup saved the Jays in June and July last season when Manoah had to be sent down, bridging the gap until Hyun-Jin Ryu was healthy. A reliable middle reliever who has trouble keeping the ball in the park, he can have stretches of dominance.
Wes Parsons
2023 stats 9-4, 4.55 ERA, 1.41 WHIP with Buffalo
2024 salary Approx. $750,000 The sacrificial lamb in last season’s 162nd game, Parsons has posted a 7.01 ERA over parts of four seasons with three organizations. He had a solid year as a starter for Buffalo in ’23 and will be asked to provide length out of the bullpen for now.
Nate Pearson
2023 stats 4.85 ERA, 3 holds, 1 save,
1.27 WHIP
2024 salary $800,000 We’re still waiting for the year when Pearson becomes Big Nate, the top pitching prospect who was all but unhittable on his way up, and dominant out of the bullpen late in the 2020 season. The door is open with the injuries to Romano and Swanson, but he’s running out of chances. Mitch White
2023 stats 7.11 ERA, 0 saves, 1.74 WHIP
2024 salary Approx. $750,000 The right-hander has yet to pitch well as a Blue Jay, posting a 7.60 ERA in 20 appearances since a deadline deal with the Dodgers in ’22, but he may have turned things around late last season, when he dominated in his final seven starts in Buffalo to the tune of a 1.89 ERA. Out of options, he’ll try once again to play the Ross Stripling swingman role.