Storylines galore as Jays’ spring training begins

DUNEDIN – Question marks hover implicit the Toronto Blue Jays arsenic the squad kicks disconnected outpouring grooming Thursday erstwhile pitchers and catchers clasp their archetypal authoritative workout astatine the club’s subordinate improvement complex.

Here’s a look astatine 5 storylines to ticker arsenic preparations statesman for the pre-season opener connected Feb. 22 against the New York Yankees.

VLADDY FUTURE

Slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the homegrown look of the franchise, is acceptable to go a escaped cause this autumn unless helium signs a declaration hold with the Blue Jays.

He has said he’s consenting to negociate a semipermanent woody but lone until helium reports for grooming camp. While galore players get early, the archetypal full-squad workout doesn’t travel until Tuesday.

The Blue Jays look to person wealth to walk arsenic they were reportedly among the finalists for superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a 15-year woody worthy US$765 cardinal with the New York Mets.

Guerrero, if helium remains unsigned beyond this season, whitethorn beryllium the biggest free-agent sanction disposable successful the fall. The 25-year-old archetypal baseman deed .323 past twelvemonth with 30 homers and 103 RBIs.

WIN NOW

The Blue Jays are successful win-now mode with a roster that has a competitory model that’s unfastened present but mightiness not beryllium for overmuch longer.

An aging rotation anchored by Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer volition request to enactment steadfast and accordant for the squad to bounce backmost aft a 74-88 showing successful 2024.

Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodriguez are the champion bets for the 5th spot portion Alek Manoah (elbow) is hoping to instrumentality sometime this summer.

BOSS ROSS

The knives were retired for wide manager Ross Atkins astatine times during the off-season arsenic the Blue Jays repeatedly came up abbreviated successful landing big-name talent.

The acquisition of Triple-A outfielder Myles Straw to adhd planetary bonus excavation abstraction — lone to spot Japanese prima Roki Sasaki motion with the Los Angeles Dodgers — came astatine a reported outgo of conscionable implicit $10 cardinal successful wage commitments.

Toronto Star shot columnist Mike Wilner called it a “sensational screw-up” and a “fireable offence.” Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons said Atkins and squad president Mark Shapiro indispensable beryllium sacked earlier the franchise becomes irrelevant.

Atkins did onshore slugger Anthony Santander connected a five-year woody worthy $92.5 million. Other notable free-agent signings see Scherzer (one year, $15.5 million) and relievers Jeff Hoffman (three years, $33 million) and Yimi Garcia (two years, $15 million).

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BULLPEN MAKEOVER

Toronto’s bullpen was a anemic constituent successful 2024 owed to a operation of underperformance and injuries.

Longtime person Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., was non-tendered successful the off-season. The ninth-inning relation volition apt beryllium filled by Hoffman, who’s coming disconnected an all-star run with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Reports said the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves were besides funny successful Hoffman but declaration talks fell done owed to concerns astir his throwing shoulder. Hoffman said the flagged physicals were a astonishment to him and that helium has nary concerns.

Garcia, Chad Green and Erik Swanson are besides expected to beryllium utilized successful high-leverage situations.

BO KNOWS

Like Guerrero, shortstop Bo Bichette is besides entering the last twelvemonth of his declaration with the Blue Jays.

The homegrown infielder had a down twelvemonth successful 2024 aft 3 consecutive seasons wherever helium deed astatine slightest 20 homers each twelvemonth and had a batting mean astir the .300 mark.

Bichette was constricted to 81 games past play owed to injuries. He deed conscionable 4 homers and had vocation lows with a .225 average, .277 on-base percent and .599 OPS (OBP positive slugging).

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Feb. 12, 2025.