DUNEDIN, Fla. — Exactly two weeks from now, Rogers Centre will play host to Opening Day between the Toronto Blue Jays and Athletics, kicking off the highly anticipated 2026 campaign.

It’s the moment every Canadian baseball fan has been waiting anxiously to arrive since confetti littered the field in celebration of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ second straight World Series championship last fall. But that’s old news in these parts. It’s time to turn the page.

Along those lines, let’s use this opportunity to take a sneak peek at how the Blue Jays’ 26-man roster could take shape when the curtain rises on Mar. 27.

13 players: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ernie Clement, Andrés Giménez, Kazuma Okamoto, Davis Schneider, Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho, Jesús Sánchez, George Springer, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw

There shouldn’t be any surprises here. Barring an injury over the next 10 days, these will likely be the 13 position players that break camp with the Blue Jays. While it’s an outfield-heavy group, there’s a bit of flexibility in the corners with Schneider and Barger also capable of shifting to the infield when needed.

This would, however, leave Leo Jiménez on the outside looking in. As he’s out of options and can’t be assigned to the minors, he’d be placed on outright waivers or traded. With 81 games of major league experience, chances are the 24-year-old infielder would end up getting claimed by one of the 29 other clubs.

Many of you are probably wondering about Eloy Jiménez, who’s in camp as a non-roster invitee. Granted, the 29-year-old slugger has made plenty of noise with his bat — quite literally, actually, sitting tied with Daulton Varsho and Josh Kasevich with a team-high 13 hard-hit balls this spring — and certainly possesses the ability to add extra thump to this Anthony Santander-less lineup now that he’s healthy.

Making room for another DH-type, though, could be the separator between carrying him or Lukes, who’s capable of playing all three outfield spots and remains an important piece in the minds of Toronto’s brass. But there should be an opportunity for the former to bide his time at Triple-A Buffalo, positioning him to be recalled as an injury replacement for Springer or Sánchez.

Six-man rotation: Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, José Berríos*, Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer

Now here’s where things are sort of up in the air, depending on Berríos’ status after this week’s MRI revealed elbow inflammation in his right arm. If he’s healthy to begin the season, same with the other five starters listed above, then the Blue Jays could very well feature a six-man rotation out of the gate — feasible because of a stretch that includes seven straight games without an off-day to begin their ’26 schedule.

But if, for some reason, Berríos’ ailment lingers, then the team would have two options: carry five starters, leaving room for an eighth reliever in the bullpen, or keep Eric Lauer stretched out as their sixth starter.

The second of those two scenarios seems less likely, given that Lauer would be an ideal candidate to pair with Yesavage until he’s fully built up. However, this part of the roster remains fairly fluid two weeks out from Opening Day.

Seven-man bullpen: Jeff Hoffman (closer), Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland, Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty, Tommy Nance, Eric Lauer

In the event all six starters avoid the injured list, these would likely be the seven relievers who’d open this season in Toronto’s bullpen, opting for another lefty in Fluharty against the Athletics, whose promising young lineup figures to include lefty hitters such as Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and Jeff McNeil.

If the Blue Jays opt for a traditional five-man rotation, though, it’d open the door for Fisher, in particular. But it could also create an opportunity for either of the club’s Rule 5 selections, Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles, the first of whom has routinely been the first arm out of the ‘pen in recent weeks on days when he’s appeared.

The threat of losing both Bastardo and Miles, who’d each be offered back to their original organizations if they fail to make the Opening Day roster, wouldn’t be enough to force the franchise’s hand. Management intends to roster the best seven, or eight, relievers available to them.

They’re all-in on contending for a World Series again, even if it inevitably leads to making tough roster decisions — whether that’s leading into Opening Day or at any point throughout the regular season.