With free agency news grinding to a halt over the Christmas break period, what better time than to look at a homegrown Blue Jay and where he may fit into next year’s team?

Shortstop Leo Jimenez enters 2026 on the 40-man roster, but since he is out of options, it remains to be seen if he can carve out a role with the big league club.

Jimenez initially signed with the Blue Jays in 2017 out of Panama, slowly working his way up the organizational ladder. He has been featured among the Blue Jays’ top prospect lists in each of his professional seasons, topping out as the 5th-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline) in 2022.

Known more for his shortstop defence than his offensive game, the right-handed hitter reached the big leagues in 2024, slashing .229/.329/.358 in a 63-game sample. Coming into 2025, there was reason to believe that the Panamanian could carve out a bench role, but injuries limited him to just 44 total games split between the big leagues and the minors.

Jimenez managed just two hits and two walks in 32 big league plate appearances, but he was swinging a hot stick for Buffalo before he got hurt. Across 71 plate appearances, he slashed .304/.437/.375, with an impressive 11:13 BB/K ratio.

Defensively, he has mixed in at second base along with shortstop throughout his career, and has played almost as many games at second base (36) as he has as a shortstop (44) in the major leagues.

It remains to be seen what the Blue Jays plan for the middle of the infield, with Andres Gimenez likely ticketed for the starting shortstop role and the future of Bo Bichette still in jeopardy. The Blue Jays have been linked to other players this winter, such as third baseman Alex Bregman, which could precipitate Ernie Clement shifting over to the keystone. At any rate, with the Blue Jays in win-now mode, there is a high chance that the team will go into the year with reliable veterans starting in the middle of the diamond.

Jimenez will battle for a backup middle infield role this spring training. As an out-of-options player, he won’t be able to be sent to the minor leagues without first being offered to every other major league club on waivers. This increases the importance of the middle infielder flashing his skills during spring training and earning himself an opportunity.

Providing the team can lock down a veteran for a starting spot, they could do a lot worse than entering the season with Jimenez as a bench piece.

With the ability to play quality defence on both sides of the second base bag, he would have a chance to contribute in the starting lineup a couple of times a week to keep everybody fresh. Power has never been a strong suit – he’s hit just 27 homers in 481 professional games – but his minor league career on-base percentage of .393 shows that he could bring some offensive value to the table.

The Blue Jays have spent nine years developing the 24-year-old, which may lead to a higher likelihood of them giving Jimenez a chance to prove that he is healthy and ready to contribute at the major league level. Expect Jimenez to spend the first part of the season with the club, with his performance dictating if he makes it through the year at the big league level or not.

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