Blue Jays manager will let things "play out" before determining the five-man rotation

In the world of baseball, Spring Training is the perfect training ground to figure out the best roster possible. With many players vying for a spot on the big league roster for Opening Day, competition stays sharp within a franchise.

Of course, one of the more difficult decisions is figuring out who stays, who goes, and who doesn't get that top spot. When there's a surplus of players for a position, the decision may not always be that obvious. Those words couldn't be truer when selecting the top five to round out your starting rotation. However, for John Schneider, manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, that's not something he's in a rush to figure out.

John Schneider ready to take his time on the rotation

On MLB Network's "30 Clubs in 30 Days," Schneider spoke with Robert Flores and Cliff Floyd about the upcoming season in the hopes of returning to the World Series. During that interview, Flores and Floyd asked about Schneider's outlook for the starting rotation. The skipper responded that he wants to see the spring unfold before making his decision.

"Camp is so long, and there's always a hiccup here or there," said Schneider. "We want to get them regular work, and we know that from last year, if it's not in the rotation, it's gonna be in a pretty prominent role in the bullpen for some guys.
That's what happens when you have a good team.

We kind of leaned into that last year by a matter of circumstance, when you acquire [Shane Bieber], and you have guys that are already performing, what are you gonna do to help us win now? So I think everyone understands that again this year. The main thing is everyone's staying healthy, and then, hopefully, it's a good problem to have."

The selection for either a five- or six-man starting rotation ranges from a vast pool of talent who've seen time in the rotation. Without a doubt, the starting rotation will most likely contain Trey Yesvage, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, and Shane Bieber, who will miss Opening Day but is expected to rejoin the rotation once healthy.

Then there's the matter of the fifth spot in the rotation that feels like it could go to anybody (assuming everybody's healthy). Sportnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that Schneider stated there's a spot in the rotation waiting for Cody Ponce. As you weigh your options, there are guys like Eric Lauer, who saw starting time in 2025 before being shifted to the bullpen. While he's content with being either the sixth man in the rotation or as a long man in the bullpen, Lauer's made it clear he prefers to start, as per The Athletic's Mitch Bannon.

Despite the current rift during the offseason, José Berrios will also fight his way to return to the starting rotation. With Bieber's injury to open the season, the door is open for Berrios to reclaim his spot. Once Bieber returns, it may be a different tune for Berrios if Ponce is expected to have a starting role.

Finally, there's the big return of "Mad" Max Scherzer on a one-year, $3 million deal. Scherzer is eligible for incentives based on innings pitched, capped at $10 million. Should that come into play, then there would be no surprise seeing him find his way back to the starting rotation.

Regardless, Schneider is practically in the best-case scenario when deciding who's going to be in the starting rotation. It doesn't seem there's a bad choice given the rich experience across the board. Could the Blue Jays entertain a six-man rotation? Definitely with the depth being there. Eventually, somebody will need to fill the role of being the long man reliever out of the bullpen. For now, Blue Jays fans will wait and see who will lead the way on the mound in the regular season.