The Toronto Blue Jays are putting in the work this offseason to get ready for the new campaign, starting with the signing of Dylan Cease to the largest free agent deal in franchise history. The addition of Cease helps fill a hole that was left in the rotation following the departures of Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer, and brings some strikeout power to a rotation that is arguably one of the top in the American League.

Ross Atkins and co. likely still have some moves up their sleeves over the next couple of months, mainly revolving around Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker in present time. Whether or not either player dons a Jays uniform for the foreseeable future is to be determined, but given the current roster, regardless of whether they add significant players this winter, there will be some roster battles brewing come Spring Training.

The Jays have quite a few players set for the 2026 roster. While there is still no clear second baseman, shortstop, or right fielder given the free agent front and the current carousel of players that can play multiple positions, such as Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, and Andres Gimenez, there are internal options available if the front office does strike out this winter on multiple fronts. That doesn’t seem likely given how aggressive the Jays brass are out of the gate, but never say never.

Looking at the current roster and the depth, most of the current group are out of minor league options.

Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger both have one at their disposal, which may be a downfall for Lukes if the Jays acquire Tucker, another outfielder, and Lukes is on the outside looking in with Barger, Daulton Varsho, Myles Straw, Anthony Santander, and a host of others that can play in the corner outfield spots. Joey Loperfido is in the same boat, as he and Lukes could be on the outside looking in if the Jays acquire another outfielder this offseason.

Davis Schneider has two options at his disposal, and there is a chance he could begin the year in Buffalo, depending on who the Jays add this offseason. If the Jays let Bichette walk and give the second base reps to Ernie Clement, then Schneider likely snags a bench spot and becomes the middle infielder backup with some reps in the corner outfield spots as needed. Bichette’s return would make the bench situation a bit more difficult for Schneider, as Clement and Barger might be splitting more time at third base, and it could be a Spring Training battle between Schneider, Joey Loperfido, and Jonatan Clase (more on him later) for bench spots.

Pitching-wise, Trey Yesavage has all three of his minor league options available after being a late-season callup in 2025. He likely only heads back to Buffalo if he struggles in his official rookie season, but he will be given some runway to work through any slumps and bumps he comes across in 2026.

In the bullpen, Louie Varland and Brendon Little have one option remaining, while Mason Fluharty and Paxton Schultz have two each to play with as well. Bringing up the rear is Braydon Fisher, who has three to work with, so the Jays have some wiggle room if they make some additions to the relief corps and want to move a few pitchers around to Triple-A. Schultz is the most likely candidate at the bottom of the totem pole, while it could be a wait-and-see scenario for Fluharty, Little, and Fisher, although the Jays likely will DFA or move someone without options (that you will see below) before moving one of these arms.

Outside the active roster picture, Ricky Tiedemann just joined the 40-man roster and will have three options to start the new campaign. Lazaro Estrada slots in behind him, with two options, and bringing up the rear are Adam Macko, Jake Bloss, and Bowden Francis, who each have one. The Jays won’t have to worry about moving this group around, which is a bonus for a Jays team that needs to keep pitching depth available in Triple-A. Bloss won’t be back til the end of the season (if at all) while he recovers from Tommy John surgery, while the rest of the group should be good to go for ST, although Toronto may be careful overloading Tiedemann out of the gate, considering his recent TJ surgery. Francis is in an interesting spot, as he could be a bullpen candidate next year or could be depth in Triple-A for the rotation.

Position player-wise in the farm system, Brandon Valenzuela just joined the 40-man roster, and he will enter the 2026 roster with all three options.

There are a few interesting names that have no options heading into the new year – excluding the locks on the active roster like Guerrero, Varsho, Kirk, etc.

Clement has zero options to work with, but I would consider him a lock heading into 2026 following his efforts in the regular season and the postseason run. He might not have a defined role in the current time, as the flux of Bichette and whether he returns may play heavily into that, but he will be on the active roster come the new campaign.

Behind Clement, both Tyler Heineman and Leo Jimenez are also out of options.

Heineman is currently the backup option behind Alejandro Kirk, keeping the tandem together after a successful run in 2025, and unless Valenzuela usurps him from that spot, Heineman is likely here to stay.

Jimenez is in a different spot roster-wise, as the defensive-minded infielder is battling for an Opening Day bid after riding the options bus for the past two seasons. He has 81 games and 208 at-bats to his name in the big leagues, and maybe on a few different teams, he likely finds a spot on the bench next year. But Toronto is a bit backlogged at the moment, especially when it comes to the outfield. Jimenez would be in the same boat as Schneider, Loperfido, and Clase for time on the bench alongside Heineman, and whoever else lands there depending on what the Jays do this winter. If the Panamanian can outperform Schneider this spring, maybe he takes his spot on the roster while Toronto stores the New Jersey product in Buffalo, where he will get everyday reps and be called upon when the club needs him again. That will likely come to a head in the Spring.

Speaking of Clase, the speedy outfielder is also out of options and will be on the outside looking in when it comes to the roster picture. His biggest competition will be Loperfido, Lukes, and Myles Straw, as all four will be looking for a spot on the bench. Straw likely has the advantage of being a lock considering his experience, defensive-minded abilities, and his strong 2025 season, but the battle between Loperfido, Lukes, and Clase could come down to the wire, especially if the Jays want to keep Clase around as a late-inning defensive replacement/base runner with his plus speed.

Turning the attention to the bullpen, the Jays will have a few players on the 40-man roster who are out of options.

Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl fit this category, and their spot on the Opening Day roster likely comes down to what the Jays do this winter on the free agent front to improve the relief corps. The Jays will also get Yimi Garcia back into the fold, while some internal candidates in Fluharty and Fisher excelled last season, making a roster spot out of the gate not guaranteed for Nance or Bruihl this time around.

Also to note, MiLB signing Rodolfo Castro is out of minor league options.

Options may come into play this Spring when it comes to Opening Day roster spots, and we all know that players will split time between the big leagues and minors based on performance and injuries across a full season. The Blue Jays can also add some players to make the roster battles even more difficult for those on the cusp, like Clase, Jimenez, and Loperfido.

That will all be figured out by February/March, and some players mentioned above could be cut loose before then (released, DFA’d, or traded), although the Jays have two open spots on the 40-man roster to play with before things come to that point.

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