Blue Jays – Players without Minor League options and the potential impact on the Opening Day roster

The Toronto Blue Jays enter the 2024 campaign with some questionable holes in their roster. The roster is without some notable players after this past offseason in 3B Matt Chapman, UTIL Whit Merrifield, 1B/DH Brandon Belt, RHP Jordan Hicks, and LHP Hyun Jin Ryu, leaving the Jays with over 7.9 fWAR missing from last year’s roster compared to this upcoming campaign.

The front office has not been as active this winter in terms of a high-profile free agent signings compared to the past few offseasons, instead signing UTIL Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year pact while also bringing back outfielder Kevin Kiermaier on a one-year deal worth $10.5 million. Offensively, the Jays biggest signing was bringing in veteran Justin Turner on a one-year deal while general manager Ross Atkins also committed $32 million to right-hander Yariel Rodríguez across five years, adding some starting depth to the organization on a player looking to make the jump from the Nippon Professional Baseball league to Major League Baseball.

Given the current projected roster construction and the offseason moves, there is limited space for internal options or players on Minor League deals to latch onto a spot for Opening Day. Should the Jays run with 13 pitchers and 13 position players as expected for the March 28th contest in Tampa, there appears to be one spot open in the bullpen and one spot open on the bench that are up for grabs. Alek Manoah is also dealing with some shoulder soreness and struggled through his first spring outing, so there could also be a spot open for the fifth rotation spot by the end of the month as well depending on how that situation unfolds.

With a few weeks left to go before Opening Day rolls around, there is still plenty of time for roster decisions to be made by the Blue Jays staff. Considering the organization has roughly three to five middle infield prospects fighting for one spot on the active roster, the added time should benefit manager John Schneider when it comes to which players should be joining Toronto when they face the Rays to kick off another season. Adding another wrinkle into the mix is a couple of players who are out of Minor League options, who need to make the team out of camp or risk being exposed to the waiver wire when they are designated for assignment and taken off the 40-man roster.

Two players that immediately stand out are infielder Ernie Clement and right-handed pitcher Mitch White. The reason they stand out is that not only are they the two players in big league camp that have zero Minor League options left (as per FanGraphs), but they both also are potential candidates to break camp with the club but could be late cuts in spring training depending on how the month unfolds.

For Clement, he joined the team last winter on a Minor League deal and while he spent most of the campaign in triple-A, he rode the options bus at times for the Jays throughout the year. However, when he was in the big leagues, he was taking full advantage of the opportunity. His longest stint came towards the end of August through the middle of September, where he featured in the lineup either as a starter or a bench option for almost three weeks straight while Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman were battling some injuries in the Jays’ quest for a postseason spot.

On the year, the New York product amassed a .380/.385/.500 slash line, going 19 for 50 with two walks and four strikeouts on the year. He added one double, one triple, and one home run to the tune of 10 RBIs and a .885 OPS during the limited sample size while he was on the active roster.

On the pitching side, Mitch White’s tenure with the Blue Jays has seen its fair share of ups and downs.

Acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from the Los Angeles Dodgers, White was immediately used in the rotation for the Jays while Yusei Kikuchi was struggling with his command but the right-hander started to experience issues on the mound, finishing the year with a 7.74 ERA through 10 appearances (eight starts). Heading into the 2023 season, White was out of Minor League options similar to this spring but started the year on the IL, which was unfortunate for the California product as he was battling for a rotation spot against Kikuchi heading into the spring (although the Japanese product was throwing well and likely would have won the job regardless).

White did not make a big league appearance until June 10th, entering the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins and getting tagged for two earned runs off of three hits (one home run) while striking out four batters. His stay on the big league roster lasted until the end of July when the Jays designated him for assignment to make room on the roster for Jordan Hicks, who they had acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals. He would pass through waivers and remain in Buffalo for the rest of the season, finishing the 2023 season with a 7.11 ERA through 12 2/3 innings of relief work while posting a 9.2 K/9 and a 4.91 FIP at the big league level. Early into the offseason, the Jays added White back to the 40-man roster.

So far this spring, Clement has featured in four games and has five hits through 12 at-bats, including one triple, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has yet to strike out at the plate and also hasn’t been issued a free pass as the right-handed batter has been aggressive in the batter’s box, posting a .583 SLG so far this spring while playing third base and shortstop for the Jays.

On the mound, White has made two appearances so far and has allowed one hit and two earned runs through three innings of work. His command has been a bit off as he has issued four free passes compared to one strikeout but the right-hander has shown off some impressive velocity so far this spring, boasting a fastball that is touching the 97 MPH mark. In his first outing against the Yankees, White had the four fastest pitches across both teams, hitting 97.8 MPH.

In terms of Opening Day, both players have a chance to crack the roster but have a few hurdles to overcome in terms of internal competition. Clement will have to fend off Daniel Vogelbach, a power bat from the left side who is in the Blue Jays camp this spring on a Minor League deal and has a chance to usurp Clement from the active roster if he can continue to put the ball in play. Also, Clement will have to fend off other prospects like Addison Barger, Damiano Palmegiani, Orelvis Martinez, Spencer Horwitz, and Leo Jimenez, who like Clement are looking to secure playing time on the big league squad but have MiLB options available (or are in camp as non-roster invitees).

For White, there is some wiggle room for where the right-hander could fall when it comes to his role moving forward.

The Jays used him primarily in relief last year and while it appears the organization has him geared more towards being a starter this season, his route to the big leagues is likely back in the bullpen as the club’s long-man, especially if Manoah secures the fifth rotation spot. Both Rodríguez and Bowden Francis are in the same boat as White in terms of finding a role on the big league squad while being stretched out as starters this spring but all three could find themselves in the mix for the bullpen when spring comes to a close. Some decisions will have to be made to give the club some depth in triple-A in terms of ‘next man up’ in the rotation should Manoah struggle or injuries befall a member of the core starters but an argument could be made for any one of the three to go to the bullpen or triple-A outside of White, who could be picked up on the waiver wire if left off the big league squad should he be DFA’d.

The Jays haven’t been afraid to expose White to waivers as evidenced by last season but they may not be as fortunate this time around, especially if the 29-year-old shows hints of being a capable starter. Clement might be in tough for a spot on the roster and I highly doubt he will pass through the waiver wire if he gets DFA’d, so the Jays may be more cautious with him as opposed to sending down one of the other internal prospects or cutting Vogelbach loose (unless he excepts an MiLB assignment or doesn’t have an out clause in his contract).

The Jays could keep both Clement and Vogelbach in the fold as Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio, and Davis Schneider could begin the year in triple-A via their options although that seems unlikely barring a trade of one of the three, opening up another roster spot if a prospect comes the opposite way.

If Clement continues to put the ball in play and find success at the hot corner, he stands a solid chance of breaking camp with the club. White will need to hone in his command a bit while keeping the velocity up if he wants to outshine other arms like Rodríguez, Francis, Nate Pearson, Zach Pop, or one of the other numerous prospects earning early reps this spring and looking to make the Opening Day roster.