Blue Jays: Five players who won’t make the team, but will finish the year

The Blue Jays have some talented players that will likely start the year in Triple-A, but don’t be surprised to see a lot of different faces in Toronto at year’s end.

That’s the way it goes for pretty much every team over the course of a long 162-game season, and why an old saying like, “you can never have too much pitching” pops up every year. As we’re seeing for the Blue Jays already this spring, depth is going to important, and that’s even more so the case after the season-ending surgery for Kirby Yates, as well as injuries to Nate Pearson, Thomas Hatch, and Robbie Ray.

Ross Atkins and Charlie Montoyo will have some interesting roster choices to make before the regular season gets under way, and those injuries will obviously play a big factor. The other big variable at play will be MiLB contracts, and most significant, minor league options. It’s not always the best players that make the roster on Opening Day, especially when the organization is trying to retain as many pieces as they can.

As I look at the way this spring has played out, I think we’ll see some valuable 2021 contributors start their year in Triple-A. In some cases it will be because of the aforementioned roster control, and in others the motivation will be to gain a little more experience before pushing a talented youngster to the highest level.

Who could that be for the Blue Jays in 2021? Here are the five players I can could see starting the year in the minor leagues, and finishing off as important big league contributors.