While the Blue Jays will likely use George Springer as their primary DH next season, they have some options for how to maximize the role with their 2026 roster.

It’s hard to argue with the logic that Springer has been more productive since he’s been allowed to focus on hitting as the primary designated hitter.

Last season served as reinforcement that keeping his legs fresh by staying off the outfield turf most of the time was a net benefit. While many of us believed that the 36-year-old was on his last legs as a big leaguer heading into the 2025 campaign (myself included), the 4x All-Star turned back the clock and posted the best numbers of his five-year tenure as a Blue Jay, finishing seventh in AL MVP voting in the process. It’s not an exaggeration to say that his unexpected elite contribution was a key reason why the Blue Jays were able to win their division and come within a tough break of being World Series champions in 2025.

While they’re likely not done adding to the roster ahead of next season, you have to think that the plan will largely be the same, and the hope is that Springer can repeat as a significant contributor again. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’d like him to make the occasional appearance in the outfield, allowing manager John Schneider to keep his bat in the lineup when they feel they need to give someone else a half-day off, and Springer is certainly capable of making spot starts as a corner outfielder.

Chances are we’ll see a handful of players that slot into the DH spot from time to time, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who benefitted from some occasional rest last year while making 24 appearances as the designated hitter. He’ll likely see a similar number of starts there again next season, and they could certainly use that spot to keep Alejandro Kirk’s bat in the lineup when he gets into one of his typical hot streaks at some point, but still needs a rest from the rigours of being the first-string catcher.

However, I guess that we’ll see somewhat regular starts as the DH for Anthony Santander as well, who the Blue Jays are hoping will have a much healthier second year after signing a five-year pact to join Canada’s only MLB team just under a year ago.

Much like they are now, the Blue Jays were on the prowl to add an impact bat to their roster ahead of the 2025 campaign, and Santander looked like a significant addition to a group that needed some extra thump in the middle of their order. The Venezuelan slugger was coming off a career year with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 when he inked his deal, clubbing a career high 44 home runs and 102 RBIs for the division rivals. Unfortunately, injuries hampered him throughout 2025 and limited him to just 54 games, slashing a disappointing .175/.274/.295 with just six home runs and 18 RBIs. While the Blue Jays managed just fine without him last season, there’s no question that a bounce-back campaign from the switch-hitter would go a long way to helping them in their quest to return to the World Series, and hopefully to finish the job this time.

As the roster is currently constructed, Santander is likely to find a regular home in one of the outfield corners, joining a mix of options that includes Daulton Varsho in centre, and then some combination of Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger (if he’s not playing third base), Davis Schneider, Myles Straw, and potentially others.

The Blue Jays have been linked to Kyle Tucker throughout the winter, and are still viewed by many pundits as the most likely destination for the consensus top free agent this offseason. And Cody Bellinger’s name has come up in a handful of rumours, too. They’ve also been connected to free agent infielders like their own homegrown talent in Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, and more, which would push Barger into the outfield picture on a more full-time basis.

Unless they end up trading Santander, which feels highly unlikely at this point, you can bet that Schneider plans to give him every opportunity to find the form that led them to sign him a year ago. The biggest hang-up with that plan might be the fact that Santander isn’t a particularly strong defender, rating below average over his last few seasons. That’s not ideal for a team that has prioritized elite defence over the last few seasons in particular, but if he is providing 30-40 home run power in the middle of the order, then I’m sure it’s something they can live with.

However, it probably also means that Santander will spend some time as the designated hitter as well, and could likely be the second most frequent name in that spot after Springer. He’s also capable of handling first base duties on occasion as well, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he draws some starts there, especially on days when Guerrero Jr. slots in as the DH.

Just as it was in 2025, Schneider will have a challenge on his hands as he juggles a pretty deep roster of position players, especially if they’re able to add someone like Tucker, Bichette, or Bregman to the fold. That won’t be the easiest task, but in theory it should allow an opportunity for occasional rest, especially for veterans like Springer and Santander, and hopefully they’ll be able to find the right balance to get the best from each of them. If that happens, don’t be surprised to see the Blue Jays make another run at a World Series title in 2026.

Introducing Off The Roster—Toronto Sports, Unfiltered! Toronto sports fans, your new favourite conversation has arrived. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, Off The Roster dives into the city’s legendary plays, brutal trades, OG jerseys, celebrity tweets, and everything in between. Raw, fun, and totally unfiltered, this is Toronto sports like you’ve never heard it before. Tune in live every weekday morning on the Nation Network YouTube channel, or catch episodes wherever you stream podcasts. Proudly brought to you by our founding partner, PROLINE. Off The Roster—the new sound in the 6ix.