Toronto Blue Jays: Five players on the roster bubble for next season

Kevin Smith – Infielder

Currently ranked as the Blue Jays 9th top prospect, infielder Kevin Smith got brief exposure in the big leagues this past season when Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal were both on the injured list.

He would play in 18 games and would craft a .094/.194/.188 through 32 at-bats, mustering three hits with one home run, one RBI, and three walks with a .382 OPS. While the bat struggled in the Major Leagues, he was solid at third base, committing only one error through 14 games while also getting in a game at both first base and left field.

Spending most of the year in AAA, Smith was one of the top players in Buffalo, leading the team with his .931 OPS, 21 home runs, and 69 RBI among qualified players on the squad. He spent most of the year at shortstop but with Bo Bichette at the position for the foreseeable future, he’ll need to most likely move positions if he wants to crack the roster and stay there.

While he didn’t come out swinging during his cup of coffee in the Majors this past year, Smith has the potential to crack the Blue Jays lineup this Opening Day especially with there being a potential competition for the third base role unless a veteran free agent is brought in. He will have to compete against Santiago Espinal for the job but even if he doesn’t win the role to begin the year, he could find himself on the bench with the Jays and waiting in the wings if Espinal struggles or finds himself on the IL.

Otto Lopez – INF/OF

After only playing in the Dominican Winter League last year with the minor league season canceled due to COVID-19, Otto Lopez took advantage of the 2021 campaign and put himself in a position to be Major League ready for 2022.

Splitting his time between both AA and AAA this past season, Lopez slashed .315/.379/.437 with five home runs, 64 RBI, and a .816 OPS through 113 games. He also used his speed on the basepaths to snag 22 stolen bases while only being caught four times as well as earning 41 walks compared to his 88 strikeouts. Defensively, Lopez spent most of the year at second base and also took some reps in left and center field with a few shortstop games sprinkled in, crafting a .958 fielding percentage at second.

The Toronto Blue Jays have an interesting offseason ahead that could open up a few spots on the roster for some players currently on the bubble.

The righty-batter did get a brief callup to the Blue Jays this season but only had one at-bat, striking out against the Washington Nationals during his lone appearance. While he would be limited to just one at-bat, Lopez had a great year down in the minor leagues and will be looking to build upon that this spring as he looks to crack the Opening Day roster.

If Marcus Semien does not return to the club next season, there will be an opening at second base that could see Lopez sneak his way onto the roster. He does have to compete with Cavan Biggio for the position, as he is most likely not returning to third, but if he does move to a utility role that some are predicting, creating an opening for the Dominican product to find himself in Toronto to begin the 2022 season.

If the club does decide to keep Biggio at second, Lopez could sneak on as a bench player and continue getting reps at second or shortstop but the front office could keep him down in the minors to get increased playing time rather than being on the bench.

Ryan Borucki –  LHP

Making a name for himself during his rookie campaign, left-hander Ryan Borucki has had a roller coaster of a career in just four seasons at the Major League level.

He would make 17 starts for the Jays in 2018 and would pitch to a 3.87 ERA through 97.2 innings as one of the club’s more dependable arms but would miss almost all of 2019 with an arm injury. These past two seasons saw Borucki move into a bullpen role, with the southpaw finding success last year to the tune of a 2.70 ERA through 21 games during the shortened campaign but would struggle this year, appearing in only 24 games and throwing to a 4.94 ERA while spending time on the IL before being demoted to the minor leagues to end the season.

This offseason, Borucki will be hitting arbitration for the first time in his career and is slated to earn approximately $800,000 as per MLB Trade Rumours. I can’t really see the club non-tendering the Illinois product considering the financial value is not going to hurt the pocketbook but he could be designated for assignment if the Jays really need a spot on the 40-man roster. I also doubt that is going to happen but there is always a possibility.

Considering Tim Mayza emerged as the club’s top southpaw in the bullpen last year and with the emergence of Kirby Snead and Tayler Saucedo internally, Borucki is on the outside looking in coming into the 2022 season.

He will need to have a solid spring if he wants to crack the Opening Day roster and will also need to stay healthy, as he has missed some considerable time over the past three seasons.

Thomas Hatch – RHP

Acquired from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for David Phelps back in 2019, right-hander Thomas Hatch made his debut for the Blue Jays in 2020 but was used as a relief pitcher instead of a starter. He would pitch well, crafting a 2.73 ERA through 17 outings (one start) with 13 walks, 23 strikeouts, and a 1.18 WHIP.

Hatch was in the running to crack the roster but began the year on the injured list with a right elbow impingement and wouldn’t make an appearance with Buffalo until late May. The Blue Jays reverted him back to a starting role this year and would spend most of the year in AAA, making 14 starts (15 outings) and pitching to a 4.04 ERA with 19 walks, 70 strikeouts, and a 1.19 WHIP.

He would make three appearances for the Blue Jays later in the season but would struggle at the big league level, surrendering seven earned runs through 9.1 innings of work with eight strikeouts but got hit around, giving up 11 hits with a 1.82 WHIP and an opponent batting average of 2.82. He would also find himself on the IL again with a separate hamstring issue at the end of the year, putting an end to a season that he would probably like to put behind him.

If Steven Matz and Robbie Ray don’t return to the club next year and the Blue Jays choose not to bring in a veteran free agent starter, there will be a few spots open in the rotation for some of the internal prospects.

Assuming the front office keeps Hatch in a starting role, he should be a potential candidate for one of the open rotation spots and will most likely return to AAA to continue being stretched out if he misses out, waiting for someone to either struggle or ends up on the IL. Hatch could also be moved to the bullpen, which could see his chances of joining the roster sooner rather than later, especially if he has a strong spring campaign.

Anthony Kay – LHP

Drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, left-hander Anthony Kay was traded to the Blue Jays as part of the Marcus Stroman deal in 2019, heading to Toronto’s minor league system alongside fellow prospect Simeon Woods-Richardson.

Fast forward to the end of the 2021 campaign, Kay is the only one left standing in the Jays organization and while he has a handful of appearances at the big league level, he has yet to fully cement a spot on the active roster. SWR was traded to the Minnesota Twins this past trade deadline and Stroman keeps stoking the fire on a potential return, which is most likely not happening but something to think about if you like chaos.

As a big leaguer, the New York product sports a 5.50 ERA through 27 appearances with seven starts, striking out 74 batters with a 1.631 WHIP. He has been riding the options bus over the past two seasons and this past campaign was one he would most likely want to forget, as he pitched to an 8.89 ERA through eight starts in Buffalo as well as two separate stints on the IL.

One thing I will mention is that Kay did get the short end of the stick on a few occasions, considering the Blue Jays kept having him start in Buffalo and then use him in both the starter and relief roles in the majors, which must have been tough considering starters usually need to find a rhythm and get stretched out properly.

The front office should just decide to keep him in either one role or the other, with a move to the bullpen being the most likely given the club has other veteran starters who will most likely edge him out for any remaining rotation spot(s).

If Kay does indeed move into a relief role, he could find himself on the radar to make the bullpen come Opening Day with a solid Spring Training.