4 big questions still remaining for Blue Jays entering final week of Spring Training

After getting as close as they've ever been in three decades to bringing home a World Series championship last year, the Toronto Blue Jays are all ready to gear themselves toward another exciting and competitive season in 2026. But before the Blue Jays can look that far ahead, there is still a week to go in Spring Training.

This week will be especially important, as the final roster makeup for Toronto could ultimately be determined. We could found out the answers to the big roster questions still remaining for the Blue Jays this week.

4 big questions still remaining for Blue Jays entering final week of Spring Training

1. Which Blue Jays relievers will end up with a bullpen role?

The bulk of the bullpen core has returned for another season with the Blue Jays. That core from the 2025 squad included Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Brendon Little, Tommy Nance and Louie Varland. But that doesn’t mean that they have all sewn up roles heading into the 2026 season already. 

First of all, newcomer Tyler Rogers is all but guaranteed a bullpen spot as one of the Blue Jays’ big offseason signings. In addition, there have been other prime candidates adamantly vying for a spot with strong performances this spring, including Rule 5 draftees Spencer Miles and Angel Bastardo, along with surprising non-roster invitee Connor Seabold.

Not to mention potential pitchers that don’t make the Blue Jays’ starting rotation could end up with a bullpen role as well. As a result, it will be interesting to see which eight relievers end up making the cut to head up north with the team next week.

2. Which Blue Jays players will earn a bench spot heading into 2026?

In hindsight, one would assume whoever we saw filling the role admirably last season, they would get a chance to do so again this year right? That would mean Tyler Heineman being the backup catcher once again, and the likes of Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw completing the bench posse. However both Schneider and Straw have struggled immensely from an offensive standpoint so far this Spring Training. So have they played themselves out of a bench role?

In addition, Leo Jiménez is out of options, so the Blue Jays may not want to risk losing him for nothing if they don’t include him on their major league roster. At the same time, young infield prospect Josh Kasevich has put up a strong spring, while Eloy Jiménez is doing all that he can to show that his comeback attempt might indeed come to fruition with the Blue Jays. Any of them could edge out the bench “core four” from last season with a strong push at the end.

3. Is there an everyday lineup that the Blue Jays can trust?

So far this spring, Blue Jays manager John Schneider has unveiled an ever-changing Toronto lineup on a daily basis. Of course the World Baseball Classic might have had some effect on it, but this actually isn’t something new for Schneider and the Blue Jays. In fact, it was a frequent occurrence last season when the manager would deploy different lineups based on matchups, resting players and offensive and/or defensive optimizations.

Nevertheless, with just a week to go, we may see a more consistent lineup going forward so that the regular starters can get into a groove with their place in the batting order. Then again, with Schneider at the helm, one can never predict what he could do last minute at any time, keeping their opponents and everyone else guessing.

4. Who will form the Blue Jays’ starting rotation to begin the year?

Finally, with the barrage of injuries that has hit Toronto starting pitchers this offseason and during training camp, it has really put the Blue Jays’ starting five in flux heading into the 2026 regular season. For one, both Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease will definitely be ready to go, but after that, no one knows. 

Shane Bieber was supposedly a sure thing until we learned that he was suffering from forearm fatigue. With that, the Blue Jays need to take things carefully in his rehab to ensure he can be effective when he returns eventually for the rest of the year. José Berríos had appeared to have locked in a spot with a strong spring showing before his sudden elbow issues surfaced as a fallout of failing to qualify for insurance purposes for the WBC. Trey Yesavage, who was slowly preparing for the regular season, is also going to start the year on the IL.

That leaves a raring-to-go Max Scherzer, who seems surprisingly on track to be ready by the start of the regular season despite joining the team late in training camp due to his late signing. But should the Blue Jays really rush the 41-year-old veteran like that, given the thumb injury issues he had last year?

In addition, Eric Lauer has struggled to a dismal 8.64 ERA, 1.56 WHIP in four starts this spring. Will he be ready to handle the starter’s role once the season begins? Finally, at least Cody Ponce and his stellar 1.13 spring ERA looks ready, but we will know for sure when he eventually faces all major league hitters going forward.

As a result, we may not know who makes the rotation until the very end of training camp, or even after the regular season starts with the many moving parts to deal with.