UTIL Otto Lopez
For Otto Lopez, he actually already made his debut with the Jays back in the 2022 season. He performed admirably in the eight games he played, with 6 hits in 9 at-bats, along with three runs driven in and a 1.367 OPS. With the defensive flexibility to play all over the infield and outfield, he has the potential to become a capable big league utilityman in the future.
Similar to Barger, Lopez impressed during Spring Training in 2023. On top of that, he played a key role for Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic in helping them to two important wins at the event. However, a subpar regular season in Buffalo held him back from being called up to the big leagues this year, as he hit only .258 with a .656 OPS, along with 48 runs scored, 9 doubles, 6 triples, 2 home runs, 35 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 84 games played.
Earlier this season, we even pegged Lopez as a strong trade chip the Jays could have used at the trade deadline to upgrade their roster. His strongest attributes lie in his versatility, speed, and overall defensive play. So similarly now in the offseason, he will continue to be a valuable trade chip that the ballclub can utilize once again to fix their roster for 2024.