Blue Jays: Imagining what the 2020 lineup looks like

The Outfield

RF- Edward Olivares

LF- Dalton Pompey

CF- Anthony Alford

DH- Insert veteran left-handed hitter here- Let’s go with Jose Abreu, he’ll be a free agent in 2020 and would give the Jays a power bat in a lineup of young talent. He could end up traded and/or extended by the time 2020 rolls around, but he seems like the type of hitter that would make sense in this group of youngsters.

I really think Alford is the guy that will eventually take Kevin Pillar‘s place in centre field. Pillar will be a free agent in 2021, and would be in his third year of arbitration, but something tells me that the Blue Jays will have moved on from him in CF by then. Don’t get me wrong, I love “Superman” as much as you do, but this is 2020 we’re talking about, and by year three of arbitration he’ll be a lot more expensive. He’s been among the team leaders in WAR for the last three years, so somebody will give him a raise, assuming his career doesn’t fall off.

I’m also rooting for Pompey, but he may be an imperfect fit even if he becomes a viable big leaguer. As for Justin Smoak, he’ll be a free agent no later than after the 2019 season, so he’ll only stick around if the Blue Jays open their wallet. If Vladimir Guerrero sticks at third base, or ends up in a corner outfield spot, I suppose it’s possible. For now, this is how I see things playing out.