Blue Jays announce first round of roster cuts in Spring Training

Teams all around Major League Baseball are beginning to make their first round of cuts in Spring Training.

On Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays joined the list of teams shortening camp and effectively making the Opening Day roster picture just a little bit clearer.

Highlights from the first round of players being sent away include Ricky Tiedemann, Orelvis Martinez and Yosver Zulueta.

As Matheson points out, each of these 12 players will still be in camp with the big league squad, but none of the group will be on the Opening Day roster.

To clarify, all players labeled as "optioned" instead of "reassigned" are already on the 40-man roster.

Jimmy Burnette, 24, is a left-handed reliever who has made four appearances in Spring Training this season. He has huge strikeout potential and likely is not far from his big league debut.

Cam Eden, 24, went 6-for-21 in spring this season before his reassignment. He made it as high as Double-A last season and hit 12 home runs in 94 games across three levels.

Hayden Juenger, 22, is the No. 10 propsect in the Blue Jays system per MLB.com and is an electric relief pitcher. He allowed three runs in 2.1 innings pitched in spring, posting an 11.57 ERA. He needs some more minor league seasoning but he's shown that he's the real deal.

Jamie Ritchie, 29, is a minor league journeyman who is likely way down on the organizational depth chart behind the plate. He went 1-for-12 in eight games before his reassignment.

Sem Robberse, 21, is the No. 7 prospect in the system per MLB.com and is one of the more promising starting pitching prospects in the organization. His spring has consisted of two outings spanning three scoreless innings.

Jimmy Robbins, 25, is another left-handed pitcher who the Jays like a lot. He made 21 appearances (15 starts) between three minor league levels and is said to be one of the strong southpaws in the farm system.

Ricky Tiedemann, 20, is the No. 1 Blue Jays prospect and is looking like one of the better pitching prospects in recent memory from the Jays. He will likely begin the year in Triple-A but he is certainly not far from his major league debut.

Hagen Danner, 24, is a catcher-turned-reliever who has electric stuff and is almost guaranteed to make his big league debut this year. The No. 22 Jays prospect's spring has consisted of three outings with as many innings pitched and four strikeouts along the way.

Spencer Horwitz, 25, is a strong hitter who primarily plays first base. He is also ticketed for some time in the bigs later this season. He is one of a handful of Jays players to be participating in the World Baseball Classic this year.

Leo Jimenez, 21, is difficult to figure out. He hit well in 2021 but took significant steps backward in 2022 at the plate. In spring this year, he is 3-for-14 with three runs scored in 10 games.

Orelvis Martinez, 21, is arguably the best power-hitting prospect in the system and has looked very strong in Spring Training this year. The No. 4 prospect in the system is 4-for-15 with two home runs and 6 RBI through nine ST games.

Lastly, there's Yosver Zulueta, the No. 3 Jays prospect who is also one of the oldest. He made four scoreless appearances in spring this year, striking out six in four innings. He will certainly see some time in The Show this year but it's unclear whether it'll be as a relief pitcher or starter.