How can the Blue Jays make way for Martinez, Horwitz at the big league level?

Texas Rangers v Toronto Blue Jays
Texas Rangers v Toronto Blue Jays | Vaughn Ridley/GettyImages

The Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, are currently enjoying a solid season in the International League. The team is 30-27, and 4th in the Eastern division. A large reason for the teams success is on the backs of the organization's position player prospects, such as Orelvis Martinez and Spencer Horwitz, who are enjoying some of their best seasons in professional baseball. There'd be good reason to argue for the call up of these prospects, to give them the reins to further understand what the Blue Jays have in their farm system. However, they cannot be called up without a corresponding move in order to make the roster. What would have to be done for the Jays current 26 man roster to let some of their prospects get an opportunity?

Martinez has had a hectic few seasons in recent years. After being ranked the 38th-best prospect ahead of 2022, he took a major step back hitting just .203, with a .732 OPS. That being said, his power potential was still on full display, as he hit 30 home runs in just 118 games. Since then, Martinez has looked much more like the prospect of old, as he's currently tied for second in home runs this season in Triple-A. At just 22-years old, what's holding Martinez back from joining the MLB roster?

The Jays' front office would like to make sure that Martinez is fully prepared before doing anything hasty. He's currently playing second base primarily, but is still rough around the edges. If Martinez were to be called up, he'd play mostly second base, while getting plenty of reps as the designated hitter. The Jays currently have three infielders who are very flexible around the diamond in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Cavan Biggio, and Ernie Clement. While versatility is a useful thing to have on a roster, the Jays don't exactly need that many players to accomplish the same role, especially when players like Biggio and Clement have struggled heavily. When Martinez inevitably gets the call up, another infielder will likely be replaced to make space.

Horwitz is a different situation. He got his first cup of coffee in the majors last season, playing in 15 games. He hasn't been able to make his return yet, but it's not for a lack of performance. Horwitz has been off to a blazing start in Triple-A, hitting .332, while getting on base 45% of the time. He has excellent bat-to-ball skills, and the Jays will have a choice to make to either let him get another chance with the MLB team, or find an opportunity somewhere else.

While he's gotten some time and both second base and left field this year to expand his own versatility, his main value lies as a first base-DH type. The Jays already have a pair of players in that role in both Justin Turner and Daniel Vogelbach. Neither have been doing too well this season, however Vogelbach has been turning it around .(.781 OPS in last 15 games), Turner has been doing the exact opposite (.349 OPS in May). One of those two players will need to be moved on from to find an actual spot for Horwitz, otherwise it's in the teams best interest to flip him to another team that can offer him a chance to play on an MLB roster.

Schedule