Even Without Bichette or Tucker, Lineup Decisions Still Loom for Blue Jays
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It’s still within the realm of possibility that the Toronto Blue Jays make one big final offseason splash to land Cody Bellinger or another one of the remaining free agents on the market. If not, then they can still take solace in knowing that the majority of a lineup that went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series remains.
Looking at the Blue Jays’ lineup, the majors’ fourth-highest run producing team from a year ago said farewell to long-time foundational franchise piece Bo Bichette, but added slugging third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. Beyond that, the 2025 group remains largely intact.
Sure, it would have been nice to find a way to keep Bichette around and/or land coveted free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, but Toronto’s position player depth remains substantial.
In fact, manager John Schneider will still have tough decisions to make, even as it comes to the current group set to take the field in 2026.
Blue Jays' Infield
The departure of Bichette and the addition of Okamoto serves to shake up the Blue Jays' infield considerably. With the team's long-time shortstop bound for Queen's to join the New York Mets, it leaves 181 hits, 18 home runs, 94 RBI and a key middle of the order bat to be replaced.
In place of the outgoing Bichette, Toronto is expected to shift Andres Gimenez over to his more natural position at shortstop, while Ernie Clement takes over as the everyday second baseman.
This new middle infield tandem is unlikely to offset Bichette's offensive contributions, but it should be a better defensive pairing. There's also hope that Gimenez can bounce back from what was, statistically speaking, one of the worst offensive seasons of his six-year MLB career.
As for other infielders stepping up to fill the offensive void left by Bichette, we covered the optimism surrounding the potential of Clement as an everyday player. There is also some cautious optimism surrounding Okamoto, who may need time to transition to the North American game, but demonstrated an ability to hit for average and power in Japan.
The Blue Jays' front office has indicated that they view Okamoto as something of a super utility player, so players like Clement, Addison Barger and fellow super-sub Davis Schneider could potentially see time at third base. The club also recently added infielders Carlos Mendoza and Rafael Lantigua as free agent minor leaguers, with top prospect JoJo Parker also waiting in the wings.
Blue Jays' Outfield
Toronto's outfield felt crowded last season - even as they dealt with some key injuries. Daulton Varsho saw action in just 71 regular season games, while major offseason free agent signing Anthony Santander made it into just 54 games, struggling mightily when he did play.
Now, it's fair to wonder if there is enough playing time to go around. If you assume that Varsho is entrenched in centerfield and George Springer spends the vast majority of the season as the team's designated hitter, that basically leaves four (or more) players vying for at-bats at two positions.
Santander will likely see the bulk of the opportunities in right field, both as an impact bat that should help fill the Bichette void and as a player earning more than $18 million. That leaves Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw and Schneider to battle for opportunities in left field, with Barger also looking for at-bats if Okamoto settles in at third base.
All this depth is great news for the Blue Jays, but potentially less good news for the organization's minor leaguers seeking to break through to the big leagues. Joey Loperfido made the most of his 41-game opportunity last season (.333 average, .879 OPS in 96 at-bats), but doesn't have a clear path at the moment.
Likewise for recent minor league signing Eloy Jimenez, who is seeking a return to the majors.
The disappointment of losing Bichette and missing out on Tucker still lingers. Soon, though, the focus will shift from what Toronto has lost to what they have - and it turns out there's still a lot of talented major league players who manager John Scheider and the Blue Jays coaching staff must find space for. Spring training is poised to be quite competitive.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.