Blue Jays spring training report date, location & other important dates to know

Don’t look now, but Opening Day is almost here.

But before Opening Day, we first need to get through Spring Training, which will be incredibly important for this year’s iteration of the Blue Jays.

After a wild offseason that saw multiple big name acquisitions (with more potentially on the way), the Blue Jays will likely need every second of spring training to get acclimated on their quest toward an American League East crown. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at some important information regarding spring training this year.

Toronto Blue Jays spring training report date and location

The Blue Jays report to spring training on Feb. 13 (a day later than most teams) and their first full team workout is Feb. 18.

The Blue Jays will once again be playing their spring training games at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, and will be competing in the Grapefruit League with the Braves, Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, Astros, Marlins, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates, Cardinals, Rays and Nationals.

Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule

The Blue Jays open their spring training slate against the New York Yankees on Feb. 22nd against the New York Yankees at 1:07 p.m. at TD Ballpark. They’ll play 27 spring training games total. 

While spring training games are exhibition games, here are some games to circle on your calendar:

Feb. 23 at Red Sox: After opening the spring slate against the Yankees, the Blue Jays turn around and face off against another divisional rival the next day. Could Alex Bregman be on the field for one of these teams at first pitch?

Feb. 26 at Phillies: While it’s anyone’s guess how if we’ll see Jeff Hoffman and/or Jordan Romano pitch in this game, this’ll be the first battle between teams that swapped closers in the offseason.

March 13 vs. Orioles: This game has the Blue Jays’ lone spring training giveaway, which is a team-branded straw bucket hat. What better way to keep the Florida sun out of your eyes while watching exhibition baseball?

March 14 at Astros: Would this be Bregman’s first chance to play in front of Astros fans as a member of the Blue Jays?

March 23 vs. Pirates: The last spring training game before it all becomes real. Four days later, the Blue Jays will open the regular season at home against the Orioles.

While there aren’t any official deadlines in spring training for teams to cut down their rosters, the Blue Jays’ spring training roster will shrink as camp goes on. The same can be said for any 40-man and 26-man roster decisions. While the Blue Jays officially announced their Opening Day roster the morning of Opening Day last year, most of the roster decisions were confirmed through reporting prior. 

Per Cot’s Contracts, March 22 marks the last day that any XX(B) free agents signed to a minor-league contract may request release if his club has not agreed to add him to the 26-man roster, which could result in some movement on the fringes of MLB rosters, which is worth paying attention to. 

March 24 is the Earliest date a club may backdate placement of a player on the 10-day injured list, which could end up impacting the Blue Jays’ roster. Last year the Blue Jays opened the season with four players on the injured list.