DUNEDIN, Fla. -- When the calendar flips to March, real baseball begins to creep over the horizon and each day begins to matter a bit more than the last.
The Blue Jays’ roster is fairly set -- as many as 24 spots are easy to write in with pen -- but there are still battles playing out on the fringes of this roster. With the Blue Jays’ entire starting infield out of town to compete at the World Baseball Classic, we’re going to see more prospects and veteran Minor Leaguers competing for jobs early in games.
Here’s where three of the biggest competitions stand entering the final few weeks of camp:
1. On the infield: Leo Jiménez vs. The Field
Jiménez is just 24, but he’s out of MInor League options. The clock is ticking here and the Blue Jays are waiting on Jiménez to take control of this decision for them, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Jiménez is off to compete with Panama at the WBC, and while those reps can be valuable, manager John Schneider has joked that he hopes all of his players are successful on an individual level… but are eliminated early and get back to camp healthy. The Blue Jays want to see Jiménez get back to where he was playing in 2024, and to do it with some urgency to his game.
“For Leo, in his particular case, I actually think it’s a good thing to get his body moving, his motor, his game clock,” Schneider said. “Hopefully, he carries that over when he gets back here.”
Jiménez is competing against recent waiver claim Ben Cowles, but Cowles has options, which gives Jiménez the edge. He’s also competing against outfielders, though, and the Blue Jays have shown a willingness to roster a ton of those, leaving Addison Barger and Davis Schneider to slide in and out as the reserve infielders.
The early read? The Blue Jays still want to see more, and will have a limited window to see it when Jiménez returns from the WBC. Get used to hearing Josh Kasevich’s name again. Ranked No. 13 on our Top 30 prospect update releasing this week, Kasevich could emerge as the better option for this reserve infield role early in 2026.
2. The bullpen spot: Rule 5 guys vs. The Field
Let’s start with the seven likeliest relievers: Jeff Hoffman, Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty and Eric Lauer. That’s three lefties, but Lauer works as the swingman. Little was just touching 98 mph in a spring game and Fluharty has added some muscle with an extra tick on his stuff. It’s a solid group.
Beyond that, we need to look at which factors are attached to each reliever. Chase Lee has options, so he can begin the year in Triple-A as valuable depth. Tommy Nance does not, which gives him an inside track. Both Rule 5 arms (Angel Bastardo, Spencer Miles) look impressive early, but the upside of Bastardo feels most tempting at just 23 years old.
The early read? Nance and Fluharty are big league relievers, but Bastardo is closer than many expected coming into camp.
3. Prospects jockeying: Schreck, Kasevich, Valenzuela
The Blue Jays really like RJ Schreck, the 25-year-old outfielder who they acquired from the Mariners for Justin Turner at the 2024 Trade Deadline. This isn’t quite to the level of Alan Roden from a year ago, but Schreck fits the Blue Jays’ style of play perfectly, and is positioning himself as the next man up from Triple-A Buffalo if a big leaguer goes down.
Schreck’s game will remind you a bit of Nathan Lukes -- solid across the board -- but there’s room for a bit more upside here. Schreck and Yohendrick Pinango are going to represent the next wave of outfielders in this system, and while Pinango has some exciting offensive upside, he’s more limited defensively while Schreck can handle center. Advantage, Schreck.
Kasevich is getting most of the attention on the infield and is an organizational favorite with fans in all the right places. Injuries zapped any momentum in 2025, but he’s a rock solid defender, showing more upside with the bat and earns rave reviews as a teammate.
Catcher Brandon Valenzuela has also impressed. Acquired from the Padres for Will Wagner at last year’s Trade Deadline -- a quiet but excellent move by this front office -- Valenzuela has all the makings of a long-term backup in the big leagues behind Alejandro Kirk. If we have that conversation in 2026 will be up to Valenzuela, but he’s going to be an important piece soon.