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An overview of the Blue Jays infield logjam and who is on the hot seat for a roster spot entering the 2025 season
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates with first baseman Spencer Horwitz (48) after hitting a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Rogers Centre.
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Veronica Chung
Nov 21, 2024, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 21, 2024, 07:20 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays are once again at a crossroads with its infield. With a whopping nine players competing for a role as an infielder and limited spots available both on the field and the bench, Toronto will have to address the ongoing logjam during this offseason and into Spring Training. There certainly won’t be enough playing time among all infielders and there will be plenty of hard decisions for the front office to make. 
Theoretically, all nine infielders can play most if not all the positions on the diamond for the Blue Jays but the team’s pitching, catching and outfield defence will severely suffer if there are no major roster adjustments down the line – whether that is through trades or free agency this winter. So, who is staying, on the hot seat or are considered for a trade?
Here are potential candidates for each category. 
Mainstays: No questions asked
Only two players in the Blue Jays infield have guaranteed roles for the 2025 season: shortstop Bo Bichette and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Blue Jays have built their contending core around these star players since 2019 and unless a trade is brokered for either one this offseason, Bichette and Guerrero are penciled in. 
Furthermore, Toronto’s general manager Ross Atkins provided clear intention after the World Series that Bichette won’t be traded this offseason. Even though neither has signed extensions with the team yet, it’s safe to say that the Jays’ front office intends to keep both players on for the upcoming season. Things can always change depending on if a team offers something extravagant but until that happens, both are mainstays. 
Keeping Guerrero is an understandable decision after the first baseman bounced back late in the season after a slow start to the campaign. For the 2024 season, Guerrero Jr. slashed .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs and earned Silver Slugger recognition and his fourth All-Star award. The talent was never the question for the Canadian-born infielder and there are still chances and time for the 25-year-old to capitalize on his talent for the foreseeable future.
Bichette is coming back after injuries and underperformance hampered his 2024 season. Toronto’s star shortstop slashed .225/.277/.322 to the tune of a .598 OP while only playing half of the season due to a calf injury and a broken finger late in the year. However, the Floridian infielder showed off his innate talent in 2023 when he rebounded in the latter half of the season with a line of .306/.339/.475. His defence and baserunning may have been questionable at times, but he produced 3.9 WAR that year, proving his batting skills are worth noting.
While there is an argument for both star players to be traded this offseason depending on who you ask, Toronto’s front office does not seem poised to trade either player based on their intentions and contending discussions this offseason. 
On the hot seat for playing time
Given the overload in the infield in the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster, there are several trades the team could consider to manage their major league roster. The core issue Toronto has to address is the overflow of players who are looking for more time on the big league roster when there are not enough spots to go around as well as finding playing time for the group if they make additions to the roster this winter. 
Currently, five players are in the hot seat heading into the new season: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Spencer Horwitz,  Will Wagner, and Davis Schneider. Since all five players have seen varying levels of success over the years, it’s best to assess them by their splits and how they fared in the 2024 season. 
Clement has a stronger case to be an everyday player for Toronto’s lineup with his solid defence and offensive skills. If the Blue Jays are fond of his skill sets heading into the 2025 season, Clement can easily move up to the mainstay portion of this article, especially if the Jays decide to move him into a potential utility role given his experience across the diamond compared to the rest, however, and arguement could be made that he could be on the trade block since many younger infielders are vying for limited playing time.
 That said, the New York native slashed .263/.284/.408 with 12 home runs across a career high 139 games, which isn’t too shabby for an everyday infielder. He also earned his Gold Glove nomination and solidified his case for providing a robust defensive value to the Blue Jays, so he ranks ahead of the rest of the group. 
In the case of Barger, he took a few games to find his groove at the big league level across multiple stints but he did have a much better batting average against right-handed pitching with a .208 average compared to his split against left-handed pitching, which was a meagre .143 average. The Washington-born player did have a much better home record with a .221 average and he only recorded a .168 average on the road. Overall, Barger’s power will be his calling card and a strong Spring will go a long way for the former top prospect, who is likely vying for the third base spot unless the Jays plan to move him into the corner outfield spots. 
Horwitz blossomed into a major-league hopeful this season as he slashed .265/.357/.433 and his work in triple-A had the Blue Jays convinced enough to move on from Cavan Biggio to bring Horwitz’s bat up to the big leagues. If there is a barrier for Horwitz heading into next year, it would be that he won’t get as many chances to play first base because of Guerrero and he will need to aim towards carving out a role at second base, which he struggled with at times to a -5 DRS. While the rumour mill will always swirl around about how Guerrero Jr. may return to his third base duties, the Jays have been interested in Alex Bregman this offseason, who could slot in at the hot corner or second base as well (he mentioned he was willing to move spots) and make the possibility less of a reality. 
 Given his relatively well-rounded offensive numbers and notable production against right-handed pitchers, he could become an asset for any team looking for a left-handed bat should the Jays wish to entertain a trade offer. But because of the sheer potential Horwitz showcased, the Blue Jays may want to keep his bat on their roster rather than batting on trading him away. A free agent signing or two could make him expendable depending on the player(s) signed but for now, the 27-year-old enters the season looking for a spot on the big league roster for the Blue Jays. 
Wagner is a fascinating infield prospect who joined the Blue Jays as part of the Yusei Kikuchi trade from the Houston Astros. While he only played 24 games with the Blue Jays before landing on the IL, he has produced great numbers as he slashed .305/.337/.451. The Houston native also recorded a five-hit game and set a franchise rookie record when Toronto played against the Minnesota Twins on August 31. For the 2025 season, Wagner enters the hotbed of infield talent looking for a spot on the big league roster. Wagner has the benefit of being able to play multiple infield positions, so he could be fighting for a spot at third or second entering Spring Training – both of which are currently up for grabs (barring an acquisition of some kind). 
The news reports have the 26-year-old ready to go when the new season rolls around and a strong Spring will go a long way to whether he starts the year North of the border or in Buffalo. If he can come out of the gate hot and post numbers similar to the cup of coffee he authored last year, he could easily insert himself at the top of the depth charts for second base.
Perhaps Schneider gets the shortest end of the stick as he struggled to come out of his funk to end the year. The New Jersey product slashed .191/.282/.343 in 2024 compared to his 2023 season where he showed off some power with a slash line of .276/.404/.603 with a 1.008 OPS. The New Jersey native fell off hard after the league successfully adjusted to him towards the midway portion of the campaign and he continued to search for his power and he was moved to left field over second base to help out when the injuries and trade deadline moves befell the organization. His numbers have been less than glamorous but Schneider certainly performed better against right-handed pitching with an average of .203 and that’s compared to his average against left-handers, which only sat at .165 – a reverse platoon. 
With his peaks and valley’s, Schneider is in a bit of a tough spot heading into the new year although he could become the club’s fourth outfielder this winter if the club thinks his future lies in left field over second base. This becomes a trickier conversation considering the club added Joey Loperfido and Jonatan Clase this winter to add competition to the group but 
On the outside looking in
And then there were two. These two players will most likely be sent to Buffalo to start the 2025 season: Leo Jiménez and Orelvis Martinez.
Even though Jiménez played 63 games in the majors last season, he will likely be forced to start in triple-A as long as Bichette is taking his place as an everyday shortstop for the Blue Jays. For the 2024 season, the Panamanian slashed .229/.329/.358 in the big leagues. He recorded 102 WRC+, which is around average but has shown he is a glove first infielder over his bat throughout the past few seasons in the minors.
Jiménez could insert himself into the second base conversation heading into the new year but historically, he has suited up more on the left side of bag throughout his six years with the Jays organization. That doesn’t mean things can’t change heading into the 2025 campaign but there is a greater chance that Jiménez will return to the Blue Jays later in the year compared to starting with the club on Opening Day, especially if Clement is still around and can play multiple positions with a plus glove – similar to Jiménez’s profile.
Martinez is an unfortunate case as he missed a good chunk of the campaign after testing positive for PEDs, being handed an 80 game suspension. In a season where he would have been given ample opportunities to showcase his bat and potential to lock down third base, he instead was on the sidelines. 
Nevertheless, his numbers in the minors impressed evaluators all around and his power can be a game changer for any club he suits up for. Before his suspension, Martinez suited up in one game for the Blue Jays – collecting one hit through three at-bats.
After missing a good portion of last season, Martinez is currently down in the Dominican getting some additional reps in at winter ball. The Jays prospect will likely see a big league field at some point in 2025 but after missing a considerable amount of time last year, starting the season in triple-A makes the most sense barring an unbelievable Spring Training where his bat impresses enough that he needs to stay with the Blue Jays. His raw talent could draw numerous suitors as well, especially since his name was floated at the trade deadline over the past couple of seasons, but after the PED test and missing time, his trade value is considerably lower compared to the start of the 2024 season.

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