Spring training is a long process, and sometimes we don’t even know if players that make the roster out of camp are going to be occupying roster spots long term. Given how long the baseball season is, and with how many players we saw suit up for the Blue Jays in 2024, there are a few open spots up for grabs both on the diamond and on the bench to at least start the year.

We know a lot of players likely making the Opening Day roster are the obvious names such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer and many other big name stars. However, spring training is where we see names that we may not have heard much about or players who look to break out tend to shine.

Let’s evaluate where these five players sit as of present day.

When looking at the roster on paper, the biggest question mark surrounding Will Wagner is where is he going to play? It’s no secret the organisation is high on him after the good sample size he showed after being acquired at the trade deadline last year, amassing a .305 average across 24 games with the club.

As of now, he is only hitting .214 across five games and 14 at-bats, with just three hits to his name (two doubles). Again, that’s not exactly a good sample size to judge off of for the long run, especially with the amount of people fighting for roster spots.

Wagner does have options, so him starting in triple-A is not out of the question if he continues to struggle at the plate as the spring wears on, but the opposite could happen if given more at bats, where some productive swings could see a turn around back to his late 2024 form. Given how many guys are going to be fighting for infield spots such as Davis Schneider, Orlevis Martinez and Ernie Clement, Wagner is still in the mix at this time, but the competition is high.

Remember when I mentioned how big the log jam is when it comes to infielders on this team? Well, the outfielders would very much like a word about that.

When looking at who’s going to play in the outfield for the Blue Jays in 2025, the names that come to mind are as follows: Daulton Varsho (when healthy), George Springer, and Anthony Santander. The coveted fourth outfielder spot is up for grabs, and Steward Berroa is actively making a case to not go back to Buffalo at the end of March.

In 28 games last season, Berroa only hit .189 and had an OPS of .550. So far in spring training, he’s authored a .500 average and has an OPS of 1.313 to go along with a home run. If you wanted to know, his OPS is higher than Guerrero’s as of right now – he came to rake this spring.

Going 6 for 13 with two doubles and a home run is a positive sign for Berroa as he fights for a spot on the roster. Another good quality about Berroa is that he would be another switch hitter to have as an option in the batting lineup to complement Santander. It can be a good weapon to have if you want Santander to DH and Berroa in the outfield.  The competition is still ongoing, but names like Alan Roden, Joey Loperfido, and Jonatan Clase are making the decision on who heads to Toronto that much harder for the Blue Jays staff.

You all remember when Davis Schneider single-handedly made the 2023 season fun again? Babe Schneider had a fun time. Who said it has to stop? Certainly not Davis.

Now, 2024 was a mixed bag for Schneider, as he found a stride as the season started but cooled off considerably as the year went on.

Barger enters the 2025 season without a guaranteed spot on the Opening Day roster, even after 208 at-bats in the big leagues last season.  Look, he’s been putting in the work off the field and has the tools to succeed. He’s got a cannon of an arm, a beautiful swing when it makes contact with the baseball, but consistency is a killer.

Before last night’s game, he was hitting .167 across six games and striking out a team-leading six times among those 12 at bats, but he had a solid evening against the Yankees where two hits, including a double, drove his average up to .286 (hooray small sample sizes!). Given Barger’s ability to play in either corner outfield spots while also having the arm strength to play 3rd base, he unfortunately falls deeper on the depth chart. With guys like Wagner, Orelvis Martinez, Ernie Clement, and even Vladimir Guerrero Jr. being options to play the hot corner this season, we likely see Barger being the starting third baseman in Buffalo to start the year or in left field.

Barger will likely see time in Toronto this season as the year drags on but to start the campaign, he will likely be down in triple-A unless his power finds a groove and outpaces Martinez or Schneider down the stretch in Spring Training.

Let’s all be honest for a second: Who saw this coming? After taking on Straw’s contract for the bonus pool money to try and sign Roki Sasaki this past winter, he entered the competition for a roster spot in the outfield but was down on the depth charts.

Despite this, Straw didn’t let it phase him and he has decided to show Canada that he can not only field, but he can also rake.

Through eight games and 16 at bats, Straws has collected seven hits to the tune of a .438 average with a home run and six RBIs. Now that’s showing signs of life for a guy we all thought was going to be buried in Buffalo. Going back to the fourth outfielder position, Straw’s name continues to enter into the competition based on his solid spring and also because of his MLB experience. Straw has over 500 games in the Major Leagues compared to the combined 109 games of Berroa and Loperfido but unlike those two, Straw needs a spot on the 40-man roster.

In sports, ties normally go to the veterans and it’s likely the club may value experience in this case, but the strong spring definitely helps back that case up. Oh, and there’s of course the Gold Glove Award that he won back in 2022, we know this team loves defence!