Which Blue Jays have been confirmed for the 2023 World Baseball Classic?

With spring around the corner, baseball is almost upon us. Lucky for us baseball fans this year we are getting an ultimate dose of spring ball, with the World Baseball Classic set to take place starting on March 7th.

Keeping track of verbal commitments has been fun all offseason long, as a variety of players across MLB have come out and said they’ll be representing their countries in the international tournament.

Through the efforts of managers of teams in the tournament, Shawn Spradling on Twitter, various media outlets, and players themselves, preliminary rosters can be sorted out for many teams in the WBC. Here are the five members of the Toronto Blue Jays who have made verbal commitments to their nations.

Domincan Republic

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladdy is set to take part in his first WBC after another All-Star season in MLB. He will slot in as their starting first baseman, and join an extremely talented DR team that has the potential of taking home gold.  

Yimi García

After a solid first season in Toronto, García will lend his services to his home nation this spring. Although García has provided his verbal commitment, there’s no guarantee he’ll see time in March as rosters are yet to be official. Still, it’s worth considering that pitching depth is valuable throughout the tournament, as pitchers will be under pitch counts similar to what we saw back in 2017.

Italy

Jordan Romano

A somewhat polarizing decision, as he’d be an asset to Canada, but Romano is set to be a key cog of a capable Italy team. A team consisting of Vinnie Pasquantino, Trey Mancini and Nicky Lopez could surprise people throughout March, with Romano set to see high-leverage innings.

Mexico

Alejandro Kirk

After a breakout season which featured both an All-Star game and a Silver Slugger Award, Kirk will catch for Mexico this March. He’ll join an exciting team featuring Randy Arozarena, Julio Urías, and Alex Verdugo. With Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes also said to be committed, expect Kirk to DH as well as catch.

Puerto Rico

José Berríos

Unsurprisingly, Berríos will rejoin team PR this spring in an effort to finish what they started back in 2017. One of the more electric teams in the tournament, Berríos’s starts could shed some light into what his regular season could look like after a disappointing 2022 regular season. He has been active on social media throughout the winter, sharing videos of workouts and bullpens, showing just how busy he’s been in an effort to correct the woes of last year.