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.