Blue Jays: Around the diamond, who might be the next man up

Starting in the infield

I’m going to go through each spot on the roster, so I figured I’d start with the catching position where we’ve witnessed one of the biggest changes. We got a pretty good glance at Danny Jansen last year, and now that Russell Martin has been traded to the Dodgers he’s been handed the full-time starting duties, flanked by Luke Maile as the back-up.

Jansen has struggled a bit with the bat to start his first full big league campaign, but my guess is he’ll be given quite a lengthy leash, especially since his defensive duties have to be the priority. However, if he needs a breather in Buffalo or ends up nicked up at some point this season, the Blue Jays are fortunate to have Reese McGuire waiting in the wings. They also have 29 year old Patrick Cantwell in Buffalo, who could serve as some emergency depth as well.

Over at first base, the Blue Jays have already used a few different players as Justin Smoak battles neck stiffness. Rowdy Tellez is the most obvious solution without Smoak in the lineup, but we’ve already seen that he’s not the de facto choice.

We’re bound to see Billy McKinney take some reps over there throughout the year, and it’s possible we continue to see guys like Lourdes Gurriel Jr., or even Alen Hanson. I also think it’s possible that Brandon Drury could see some reps at first base after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. arrives, so it could be a bit of a revolving door. That’s especially the case when you look at the Buffalo Bisons roster at the moment, and they don’t actually have an active first baseman.

The Middle Infield

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of the signing of Freddy Galvis when it happened, but so far he’s been a godsend on a struggling team.

Galvis has been a pretty steady presence at shortstop for the most part, but the rest of the infield has been a little different. We’ve seen the likes of Gurriel Jr., Hanson, and Richard Urena at second base so far, and I imagine Charlie Montoyo will continue with a steady diet of that trio for the time being.

The Blue Jays do have a few options for their middle infield as the season wears on, and if there are more injury needs to cover. It’s possible that Devon Travis comes back at some point and factors into the second base equation, and there’s also the impending promotion of Vlad Jr. that should happen sometime in the next month. When the #1 prospect in baseball arrives that helps add even more depth at second base, as Drury can slide over there as well, giving Montoyo another option and one that could push Hanson and/or Urena off the 25 man roster.

Beyond the players I’ve already mentioned the Jays have Eric Sogard serving as depth in Buffalo at the moment, and some other talented players that could push for a big league promotion later this year. I talked about Cavan Biggio the other day as a potential promotion candidate if the need arises, and his ability to play second, third, first, and in the corner outfield is a huge plus. There’s also Bo Bichette, who I likely don’t have to say a whole lot about if you’ve been following along this year.

If there’s one area in the organization that should be covered now and in the future, it’s probably in the middle infield. That’s a nice change from a couple of seasons ago when the Blue Jays were trying to find healthy bodies to cover for Travis and Troy Tulowitzki.

The Rest Of The Lineup

I’ve already alluded to the pending change at third base, and chances are you are more than aware of it already, but let’s go over it one more time, shall we?

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will make his way to Toronto at some point soon, even if the Blue Jays wouldn’t mind seeing him take an extended stay in Buffalo to make sure he’s up to speed. It’s no longer about service time and all about what’s best for the player, so fans don’t have to worry about conspiracies here.

Back to the topic at hand though, Guerrero serves as as “next man up” for Drury right now, but that’s really just a formality until he’s ready, and really doesn’t apply in the same way as the rest of the situations we’re talking about here. In a more accurate sense, Drury is a bit of a placeholder for Vlad Jr. at the moment, but he will probably still get occasional starts at the hot corner even after the wunderkid’s promotion.

As for the rest of the lineup, the outfield could be an interesting thing to figure out for Charlie Montoyo this season. I think it’s safe to say that Randal Grichuk will be a fixture out there, and probably will receive the majority of starts in centre field. Beyond the freshly inked outfielder, there are a lot of variables at play.

For the moment the depth chart is made up of McKinney, Socrates Brito, and Teoscar Hernandez, and I expect that only the latter would have much job security. The club seems to be high on McKinney, but I would think he’ll have to perform in order to maintain his gig, especially with other options available. Brito is more or less getting a tryout in Toronto at the moment, and it’s really hard to say what to expect from him, if anything.

Beyond that group, the Blue Jays obviously have Anthony Alford in Buffalo who is chomping at the bit to get back on the major league roster. If the decision were up to me he’d likely already be a lineup fixture, but I know the Blue Jays want to prioritize consistent playing time for him, and perhaps don’t feel they can give him that in Toronto at the moment.

After Alford likely comes Jonathan Davis, who got a cup of coffee in the big leagues last season and is currently on the 10 day injured list, and hopefully we’ll eventually see a healthy Dalton Pompey later this year. It’s a shame Pompey suffered another concussion late in spring training, otherwise he’d likely be getting a pretty good opportunity right now after the trade of Kevin Pillar.

Last but not least, the Blue Jays could always use some of their versatile infielders in the corner outfield, such as Drury, Gurriel Jr. and Urena, who all have some experience out there. Devon Travis was also working on left field before he injured his knee this spring, so there could be all kinds of options at some point.

Starting Pitchers

The starting staff has been the pleasant surprise in the early going, and the biggest reason for that is health. We all know that could change in a hurry, especially with this cast of characters, and fortunately the Blue Jays have plenty of reinforcements if that happens.

The top four of Marcus Stroman, Matt Shoemaker, Aaron Sanchez, and Trent Thornton have been very good so far, and chances are at least those first three have a permanent spot in the rotation as long as they’re healthy, and haven’t been traded anywhere. Shoemaker was signed this winter but he’s also on a one year deal, so he could be a prime candidate to move this summer if he keeps this up, and the same could happen for the two long-time Blue Jays as well.

It sounds like we’ll finally see Clay Buchholz make his Blue Jay debut this weekend, and he’ll round out the rotation for now. We’ll see what happens to Thornton’s spot once both Clayton Richard and Ryan Borucki get healthy, but having seven feasible options for the rotation isn’t a bad thing. The Blue Jays can also turn to young arms like Sean Reid-Foley and Thomas Pannone, who have each had an unsuccessful turn so far, but have shown enough upside last year. Sam Gaviglio could always fill in as a starter as well, and don’t be surprised if we see David Paulino, Jacob Waguespack, or others before the season is out.

The point is, the Blue Jays actually have a lot of starting depth at the moment, so if they have a few injuries throughout the year they should be able to weather the storm, at least with arms capable of pitching at the highest level. They may not be able to perform the way the top four have so far, but I’m not sure we can expect that kind of production out of anyone anyway.

The Bullpen

I toyed with not even including the bullpen, mostly because it’s the most difficult to predict and where the most outside help could come in. We’ve already seen Ross Atkins sign Daniel Hudson late in the offseason, and also let go of Bud Norris, so that’s the kind of thing I’m referring to.

Right now the bullpen is made up of Hudson, Gaviglio, Ken Giles, Tim Mayza, Joe Biagini, Elvis Luciano, and Javy Guerra. While there are a few pieces that could stick, I expect that the Blue Jays will have a pretty typical bullpen with lots of moving parts.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

They’ll eventually get back some arms that are currently injured like David Phelps, John Axford, and of course Ryan Tepera. They’ll also likely turn to plenty of minor leaguers who will get a chance to get their feet wet at the highest level as well. That list could include some potential starters like Pannone or Paulino, but there others who could fit the bill as well, such as Patrick Murphy, Yennys Diaz, or Hector Perez.

Of course, it’s also possible that Atkins and company continue to keep their eyes closely peeled to the waiver wire, as several teams have to juggle their rosters throughout the year, and that sometimes means a potential contributor is made available, such as what happened with Hudson.

Don’t be surprised if the Blue Jays elect to use potential starters like Buchholz or Richard out of the bullpen either, rather than sacrifice the rotation spot of Thornton or eventually Borucki. Buchholz’s contract included some incentives in the event that he’s used out of the ‘pen, and Richard is no stranger to the role either and could have value as a second lefty, and one that could provide length as well.

The group might not have the experience and fortitude of the group in the Yankees’ bullpen, but there should be plenty of serviceable arms to call upon throughout the year, and maybe even more available later on as well.

So while it might feel like Ross Atkins the Blue Jays front office cleared out the locker room (and they really kinda did), there are still plenty of capable bodies throughout the organization. This leadership group has made building depth a big part of their emphasis over the last few years, and while this team is far from a finished product, they’re pretty well covered top to down if things change, and we know they will continue to do just that.