5 Blue Jays players who’ve already proven they don’t belong on the roster after May 1

Nathan Lukes

Since joining the Blue Jays' organization in November 2021, Lukes had always impressed during training camp before getting limited opportunites during the season.

That changed last year when he got some playing time after the Blue Jays' exodus at the trade deadline, Lukes finally got the call to the big club and impressed by hitting .303 with four doubles, two triples, one home run, 10 RBI, 10 walks and nine strikeouts in 22 games. 

With that audition, Lukes gave himself an opportunity to crack the Jays’ 2025 roster but hasn’t been able to take advantage of the opportunity. Despite primarily playing in a bench role, Lukes has hit just .190 in 10 games.

While that limited production might be fine for a bench player, his spot on the roster could be in jeopardy due to Daulton Varsho coming off the IL soon. Lukes has one minor league option remaining, so his future could be in Triple-A.

Jacob Barnes

As a proven 10-year veteran in the major leagues, the Jays inking Barnes to a minor league deal seemed like a good low-risk, high-reward move. And with that, it was a surprise that Barnes survived the final cuts and made the Opening Day roster despite posting a 6.75 ERA in spring.

Well, if the Jays didn’t believe in his numbers then, they should believe in those numbers just about now.

Barnes’ spring stats have ended up being a foreshadowing of his regular season performance, as he's posted a dismal 7.20 ERA in just five innings. With that in mind the Blue Jays could consider filling his spot in the bullpen with a better arm.