Blue Jays: What are the holes to address this offseason?

Third base

I already alluded to this in the previous slide, but it’s very possible that the Blue Jays look for a new third baseman over the winter.

This may not be the highest priority on Ross Atkins’ list as he begins the offseason work, but it’s something to keep in mind for sure. The biggest key will be whether or not Semien returns to fill second base, especially because that’s a job that both Biggio and/or Espinal could do if Charlie Montoyo wanted to shift them over. That likely makes sense if they wanted Biggio to start full-time, and Espinal can likely play anywhere and still be an asset with the glove.

If the Jays don’t retain Semien then they’re going to be looking for ways to make up for (some of) his offensive production, and it might be easier to find a new face to play the hot corner. Perhaps that’s a guy like Kyle Seager, who could be a free agent this winter, or maybe a higher profile name like a Kris Bryant. It’s also entirely possible that they could re-engage with Cleveland and ask about a star like Jose Ramirez.

The nice part of the equation is that the Blue Jays have so much depth in their lineup on offence that they can likely get away with starting Espinal on a full-time basis. To be fair, he’s not exactly a slouch with the bat either even if defence is his calling card, as he slashed .311/.376/.405 and earned 2.5 bWAR over just 92 games and 222 at-bats. That said, it’s probably not realistic to expect a repeat of that level of production either, and Espinal may be best-served as more of a utility player.

Second and third base are likely very much tied together for the Blue Jays this offseason, and it all starts with whether or not Semien comes back. If he doesn’t, that opens the door for all kinds of other options.