It may not feel or smell like it yet, but spring is just around the corner.

Spring training will begin for the Toronto Blue Jays in two weeks, with pitchers and catchers due to report to Dunedin, Fla., on Feb. 11 ahead of the club’s first official workout at the player development complex on Feb. 16. Later that week, the organization will open exhibition play versus the Philadelphia Phillies on Feb. 21, beginning its Grapefruit League title defence.

While the off-season isn’t officially over, barring an unsuspecting splash via trade or an inexpensive veteran free-agent signing, the Blue Jays’ roster appears set ahead of the 2026 season. Thus, now is a perfect opportunity to outline the team’s projected depth chart.

This will include the projected starter at each position — or starters, as it pertains to the starting rotation — as well as the expected competition behind them for each role. So, let’s dive in.

Starter: Alejandro Kirk

Reserve(s): Tyler Heineman, Brandon Valenzuela, C.J. Stubbs (non-roster invitee)

After starting a career-high 111 games (118 total appearances) behind the plate last season, Kirk — who enjoyed a career year in 2025, posting the highest fWAR (4.7, second-best at his position) of his six major league seasons — enters his second consecutive campaign as Toronto’s undisputed No. 1 catcher, looking to replicate his stellar offensive showing instead of regressing like he did following his breakout ’22 performance.

Kirk’s primary backup will undoubtedly be Heineman, who also enjoyed a career year a season ago, registering career-highs across the board while serving as a two-win reserve per fWAR. The immediate depth behind those two will include Valenzuela — added to the organization’s 40-man roster in November after being acquired last summer — and Stubbs.

But make sure to keep a close eye on Edward Duran, the franchise’s top catching prospect, who’ll attend major league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Starter: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Reserve(s): Kazuma Okamoto, Ernie Clement, Anthony Santander

There’s no surprise here — Guerrero will remain the Blue Jays’ everyday first baseman for the sixth consecutive season in ’26. However, the 26-year-old will face added pressure to hit the ground running in the post-Bo Bichette era, especially coming off his historic post-season performance.

Guerrero leads all AL first basemen in innings played (5,480.2) since 2021, meaning there aren’t many instances where someone other than him is playing first for Toronto. During his rest or DH days, though, it’ll either be Okamoto (an NPB Gold Glove winner at first in ’24), Clement or Santander backing him up.

Starter: Ernie Clement

Reserve(s): Davis Schneider, Andrés Giménez, Leo Jiménez (out of options), Addison Barger

Bichette’s departure in free agency assured he wouldn’t be returning to Toronto. But it also opened up everyday reps at second base, which Clement will now aim to capitalize on.

How much Clement plays, however, will depend on how well he hits. Last season, the 29-year-old infielder — who produced 10 defensive runs saved, five outs above average and a plus-four fielding run value over 423.1 innings at second — excelled versus left-handed pitching (146 wRC+), but was a well-below league-average hitter against righties (75 wRC+). Things were reversed in ’24, though, as he fared better against righties (104 wRC+) than lefties (72 wRC+).

Depending on where things fall this season, Clement has a clear pathway to earning regular at-bats as the club’s everyday second baseman. If his bat falters, platoon options will include Schneider, Giménez, Jiménez and potentially Barger.

Starter: Andrés Giménez

Reserve(s): Ernie Clement, Leo Jiménez

Following Giménez’s seamless transition from second to short late last season, the three-time Gold Glove winner was destined to take over the everyday shortstop position in ’26 regardless of whether Bichette returned.

The 27-year-old’s bat, of course, didn’t improve how the organization hoped it would, despite his surprising red-hot start to last season. If his offensive woes continue this year, it could open the door for Clement to slide over to short during games started by a lefty, creating at-bats at second for Schneider or even Jiménez — who’ll have to compete for his job to avoid being placed on waivers before Opening Day.

Starter: Kazuma Okamoto

Reserve(s): Addison Barger, Ernie Clement

The Kazuma Okamoto era will officially begin in a few weeks, with the 29-year-old Japanese slugger expected to receive ample opportunities to stick as the club’s everyday third baseman this season. Whatever his defensive production ends up being, though, the priority will lie with his bat.

Without Bichette and the certainty around Santander’s results, the onus will be on Okamoto to provide middle-of-the-order production, particularly against left-handed pitching. It’s possible he could split time at the hot corner with Barger in a platoon-advantage role, putting both players in the best positions to succeed in the batter’s box.

Starter: Anthony Santander

Reserve(s): Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, George Springer

At the moment, left field might be the position that raises the most questions for the Blue Jays. Landing Kyle Tucker would’ve overloaded the position. But now, it’s packed with plenty of promise, but very little certainty.

The best-case scenario is that Santander bounces back from his injury-riddled ’25 campaign, runs away with playing time in left and performs closer to the hitter that posted 44 home runs and a 3.2 fWAR with the Baltimore Orioles two years ago. Anything that falls well short of those expectations, though, may cause Schneider, Lukes and others to become larger pieces of the equation — none of whom can replicate the power potential that Santander brings.

Starter: Daulton Varsho

Reserve(s): Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes, Joey Loperfido, Jonatan Clase

Simply put, the Blue Jays need a healthy season from Varsho, who played only 71 games last year due to shoulder and hamstring injuries — his fewest total since his rookie, COVID-shortened campaign.

Toronto has viable centre-field options beyond Varsho, namely Straw, despite his offensive shortcomings. Having said that, if the former’s power stroke (.548 SLG, career high) carries over from last season, he’ll have an excellent chance to emerge as one of baseball’s most valuable, all-around outfielders.

Starter: Addison Barger

Reserve(s): Anthony Santander, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, George Springer

Had the Blue Jays signed Tucker, Barger would’ve faced a significant decline in playing time this season, limiting him to part-time opportunities at third and, potentially, second base as well as in left field. Since that didn’t come to fruition, the 26-year-old middle-of-the-order thumper now possesses the runway to establish himself as an everyday right fielder.

Barger, who slugged .480 with a 115 wRC+ versus righties in ’25, must take a considerable step forward against lefties (69 wRC+) this season after striking out nearly a third of the time in those matchups last year. But he’ll likely return to the hot corner on occasion, freeing up at-bats in right for the likes of Lukes and others.

Starter: George Springer

Reserve(s): Anthony Santander, Kazuma Okamoto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Springer, whose 166 wRC+ ranked behind only Shohei Ohtani (172) and Aaron Judge (204) in ’25, will assuredly occupy everyday at-bats as Toronto’s primary DH again this season. But the 36-year-old outfielder will also rotate through both corner spots, similar to last season’s usage, to free up hitter-only days for Santander, Okamoto and Guerrero.

Starters: Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce/José Berríos/Eric Lauer

Reserve(s): Bowden Francis, Adam Macko, Lazaro Estrada, Chad Dallas, Ricky Tiedemann

The days of only being five starters deep are officially gone. Heading into this spring, the Blue Jays will be seven starters deep with their major-league rotation, at least on paper, providing ample flexibility if any pre-Opening Day injuries arise over the next several weeks.

The trio of Ponce, Berríos and Lauer will compete for the fifth starter’s job — and the final bullpen spot. However, they’ll also act as extra protection if Bieber requires an extended build-up in his first full season post-Tommy John surgery, or if the club places restrictions on Yesavage’s workload following his fast-tracked first season of pro ball.

Locks: Jeff Hoffman, Louis Varland, Yimi García, Tyler Rogers, Cody Ponce/Eric Lauer

On the bubble: Brendon Little, Tommy Nance (out of options), Mason Fluharty, Braydon Fisher, Angel Bastardo (Rule 5 selection), Spencer Miles (Rule 5 selection), Yariel Rodríguez (non-roster invitee), Chase Lee

It’s a fairly safe bet that the Blue Jays will break camp with a traditional multi-inning reliever, likely Ponce or Lauer, accounting for five of the eight bullpen spots. Barring an injury or two *knocks on wood,* that’ll leave just three jobs up for grabs amongst those listed above “on the bubble.”

Based on last season’s emergence, Fluharty and Fisher should be strong considerations to break camp with the big league club, although each features options — while Nance doesn’t. Little’s performance mostly felt like a roller-coaster in ’25, but there’s no denying his elite swing-and-miss ability (100th percentile whiff rate), which may give him a leg up on the competition.

Bastardo (must spend 90 days on the active roster to become waiver exempt) and Miles are each wild cards in this situation. If either Rule 5 claim stands out this spring, then great. See where it goes. If not, the Blue Jays can wipe their hands clean and offer them back to their original clubs for $50,000 each.