The Toronto Blue Jays have a handful of roster spots available.

To his credit, Addison Barger can fill a few of those roles. So far this Spring Training, Barger is slashing .367/.429/.733 with three home runs in 35 plate appearances for a 180 wRC+
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As it stands, third base, an outfield spot, a designated hitter role, and bench spots remain up for grabs. Thanks to his strong Spring Training and positional versatility, Barger has a leg up to make the Jays’ Opening Day roster.
<h2>Third base</h2>
Barger came up in the minor league system playing third base and shortstop. One of the four spots available for the taking happens to be third base.
He spent more than half his time last season at the hot corner. Defensively, he was okay or bad, depending on your metric of choice. In 256.1 innings at third, he had 2 Defensive Runs Saved but a -5 Outs Above Average.
Still, Barger has a strong arm that is perfect for third base and some pop in his bat. He’s in competition for the spot with Ernie Clement, Will Wagner, and Orelvis Martínez before he was optioned to Triple-A.
Out of any of those three players, Barger (and Martínez) fit the spot the best thanks to their power and strong arm.
<h2>A corner infield spot</h2>
The good news about Barger’s arm and power in his bat is that it doesn’t just play at third base. Barger started playing in the outfield in 2023, mostly playing in right field. Last season, his MLB debut saw him start in left field where he struggled. 
In right field though, Barger had 2 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average in 229 innings. Again, his strong arm is great for right field and he has corner outfield pop in his bat.
Somehow, there’s even more competition for one corner outfield spot. That spot is open because Daulton Varsho is starting the season on the Injured List, meaning centre field is up for grabs. Of course, the Blue Jays could always play George Springer as the fourth outfielder as well once Varsho returns.
The players competing for a spot as the everyday outfielder include Myles Straw, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/looking-at-the-pathways-the-blue-jays-can-take-with-alan-roden">Alan Roden</a>, and Davis Schneider. It’s worth noting that Steward Berroa is also having a strong spring campaign.
<h2>Designated hitter</h2>
In his big league career, Barger hasn’t quite shown the power that made him one of the Blue Jays’ best prospects a few seasons ago. In 2022, he hit 26 home runs between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, going from a relatively unknown prospect to one of the Blue Jays’ top five prospects.
In the minor leagues last season, Barger hit nine home runs in 249 plate appearances with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. After his final call-up, Barger hit seven home runs in his final 159 plate appearances to give him a 95 wRC+ in that stretch.
Although he hasn’t shown that power at the big league level, Barger generates a ton of power with his swing and hits the ball with a high exit velocity. With his arm, it doesn’t really make sense to DH him, but the bat would play at the position.
<h2>A bench spot</h2>
The last option, which seems the most likely, is a bench spot with the Blue Jays. He has positional versatility, being able to play third base and the corner outfield with experience at shortstop and second base. Moreover, his left-handed bat can be used in a platoon situation with someone like George Springer. Or if the Jays need a pinch hitter to hit a home run, Barger could be the option.
If they used a bench spot for Barger, he’d become somewhat of a super-utility player with a ton of pop in his bat. While he could certainly be more than that in the future, the Blue Jays are loaded with young players like him all around the field. 
The bench seems like the likely spot for him, with <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/blue-jays">Fangraphs’ roster projection even having him occupying a bench spot</a>.
Either way, it’s hard to deny that Barger hasn’t earned a spot on the Blue Jays Opening Day roster and there’s a handful of pathways the Jays go down.
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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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The Toronto Blue Jays have a handful of roster spots available.



To his credit, Addison Barger can fill a few of those roles. So far this Spring Training, Barger is slashing .367/.429/.733 with three home runs in 35 plate appearances for a 180 wRC+
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&nbsp;

As it stands, third base, an outfield spot, a designated hitter role, and bench spots remain up for grabs. Thanks to his strong Spring Training and positional versatility, Barger has a leg up to make the Jays’ Opening Day roster.
<h2>Third base</h2>
Barger came up in the minor league system playing third base and shortstop. One of the four spots available for the taking happens to be third base.

He spent more than half his time last season at the hot corner. Defensively, he was okay or bad, depending on your metric of choice. In 256.1 innings at third, he had 2 Defensive Runs Saved but a -5 Outs Above Average.

Still, Barger has a strong arm that is perfect for third base and some pop in his bat. He’s in competition for the spot with Ernie Clement, Will Wagner, and Orelvis Martínez before he was optioned to Triple-A.

Out of any of those three players, Barger (and Martínez) fit the spot the best thanks to their power and strong arm.
<h2>A corner infield spot</h2>
The good news about Barger’s arm and power in his bat is that it doesn’t just play at third base. Barger started playing in the outfield in 2023, mostly playing in right field. Last season, his MLB debut saw him start in left field where he struggled. 

In right field though, Barger had 2 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average in 229 innings. Again, his strong arm is great for right field and he has corner outfield pop in his bat.

Somehow, there’s even more competition for one corner outfield spot. That spot is open because Daulton Varsho is starting the season on the Injured List, meaning centre field is up for grabs. Of course, the Blue Jays could always play George Springer as the fourth outfielder as well once Varsho returns.

The players competing for a spot as the everyday outfielder include Myles Straw, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/looking-at-the-pathways-the-blue-jays-can-take-with-alan-roden">Alan Roden</a>, and Davis Schneider. It’s worth noting that Steward Berroa is also having a strong spring campaign.
<h2>Designated hitter</h2>
In his big league career, Barger hasn’t quite shown the power that made him one of the Blue Jays’ best prospects a few seasons ago. In 2022, he hit 26 home runs between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, going from a relatively unknown prospect to one of the Blue Jays’ top five prospects.

In the minor leagues last season, Barger hit nine home runs in 249 plate appearances with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. After his final call-up, Barger hit seven home runs in his final 159 plate appearances to give him a 95 wRC+ in that stretch.

Although he hasn’t shown that power at the big league level, Barger generates a ton of power with his swing and hits the ball with a high exit velocity. With his arm, it doesn’t really make sense to DH him, but the bat would play at the position.
<h2>A bench spot</h2>
The last option, which seems the most likely, is a bench spot with the Blue Jays. He has positional versatility, being able to play third base and the corner outfield with experience at shortstop and second base. Moreover, his left-handed bat can be used in a platoon situation with someone like George Springer. Or if the Jays need a pinch hitter to hit a home run, Barger could be the option.

If they used a bench spot for Barger, he’d become somewhat of a super-utility player with a ton of pop in his bat. While he could certainly be more than that in the future, the Blue Jays are loaded with young players like him all around the field. 

The bench seems like the likely spot for him, with <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/blue-jays">Fangraphs’ roster projection even having him occupying a bench spot</a>.

Either way, it’s hard to deny that Barger hasn’t earned a spot on the Blue Jays Opening Day roster and there’s a handful of pathways the Jays go down.

<hr />

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Addison Barger positional versatility could help him make the Blue Jays’ roster

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