The 5 biggest storylines of the Blue Jays’ 2025 season

You can say what you want about the Blue Jays' offseason, but it wasn’t boring. 

After five months of trades, signings and near-signings, the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training starts today when pitchers and catchers officially report to Dunedin, Florida. While last year was a disappointment for the Blue Jays, they bolstered the lineup, rotation and bullpen in the offseason in the hopes of keeping up with the rest of the American League East.

Here are the five things we’re going to be paying attention to the most once the season starts on March 27 against the Orioles.

The Blue Jays' five biggest storylines in 2025

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Take your pick. Will he sign an extension before his self-imposed deadline of Feb. 18? If he does, how will the team build around him? If he doesn’t, will the team trade him?

Guerrero is a four-time All-Star who is one of the best power hitters in baseball and the face of the Blue Jays, but things could get awkward if an extension isn’t reached before his deadline. How awkward? Well that depends on how Guerrero and his team at Magnus Sports handle it.

Toronto has said they’re planning on staying firm and won’t be trading Guerrero. Will they have that same tune if he’s extension-less at the trade deadline?

On the other side, a potential extension would still be a storyline, albeit one that’s more positive for Blue Jays fans. Guerrero would likely sign a long-term, nine-figure contract that would make him a Blue Jay for most, if not all, of his career.

Guerrero was one of the few bright spots in a Blue Jays lineup that was devoid of power for most of the year. With Anthony Santander joining a healthy Bo Bichette, Guerrero’s power shouldn’t be the only bright spot this year.

What will third base look like? 

Another storyline that could potentially involve Guerrero. He said he’d go back to playing third base if the team got Pete Alonso. Is that still in the cards even with Alonso back in Queens?

The Jays are entering camp with Ernie Clement as the No. 1 option at the hot corner and Will Wagner, Leo Jiménez and Orelvis Martinez lurking behind him on the depth chart.

It’s an intriguing group. It’s also a bit lacking.

While Clement was a Gold Glove finalist last year, he still finished the year with an OPS+ under 100. The same can be said for Jiménez (97 OPS+ in 63 games), and Martinez will be working his way back from a PED suspension that came the day after his debut.

First base, second base and shortstop will all be manned by former All-Stars. What will third base look like? 

Improvement in the starting rotation

Last year the Blue Jays had five players record 20+ starts (José Berríos, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi and Yariel Rodríguez), yet only two of them finished the year with an ERA under four (Berríos and Guasman).

This year’s rotation looks a little different. Berríos, Gausman and Bassitt are still there, but Kikuchi’s an Astro and Rodríguez seems ticketed for the bullpen thanks to the presence of Bowden Francis (3.30 ERA in 103 2/3 innings last year).  The team also signed Max Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million deal.

The Jays may not have a rotation led by a marquee name, but it’s one with depth, durability and experience: three things that tend to be the backbone of a successful rotation. 

That depth could end up coming into play later in the season — albeit it in a different way. 

If the Blue Jays are in the thick of the playoff hunt in the middle of the season, would Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro consider dipping into that depth to go get a big name available at the deadline? 

Regardless of the reason, the amount of arms in the Blue Jays’ rotational depth will be a hot topic all year.

Will it be a defensive three-peat?

Could this be the year the Blue Jays win their third straight team Gold Glove award? In 2023, they won the team Gold Glove award on the back of three Gold Glove winners (Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier and Berríos) while last year’s squad had one winner (Daulton Varsho) and a finalist (Ernie Clement). 

And, a year after leading all of baseball with 102 DRS, this year’s team’s defense might be even better. Andrés Giménez is a three-time Gold Glove winner and one time Platinum Glove winner, while Clement and Varsho are back for another season.

The Blue Jays should get plenty of chances to strut their stuff on defense as well. They were 23rd in baseball in strikeouts per nine innings last year as a staff (8.29) and, despite the gain of Scherzer (10.7 strikeout per nine in his career), still have a staff built around generating soft contact. 

The Blue Jays got to the postseason in 2022 and ‘23 on the back of timely hitting and good defense. Will that be a recipe for success this season?

Which prospects will make an impact?

While the Blue Jays have two marquee prospects in Arjun Nimmala and Trey Yesavage, they’re both a couple years away from making their MLB debuts However, there's still a chance some young guys could make an impact a year after the Blue Jays had the fifth-oldest roster in MLB (average age of 30.5). 

Martinez and Wagner both got shots with the team last year and should enter the picture at some point (if he doesn’t break camp with the team), while Jake Bloss won’t be far behind.  

But perhaps the biggest storyline around the team’s prospects is who we won’t see, as Ricky Tiedemann underwent Tommy John surgery last July and will likely miss all of 2025. 

A one-time top prospect, Tidemann’s stock as a prospect has dropped as he's dealt with arm injuries, as has his MLB timeline. 

Bloss and Adam Macko will likely be the first pitching prospects we see with the Blue Jays, while Rule 5 Draft pick Angel Bastaro will likely spend all of the year on the 60-day IL while he recovers from Tommy John surgery.