The Toronto Blue Jays are heading into spring with a logjam in the infield, and it’s setting up a tough roster crunch-especially for Leo Jiménez.
Toronto made a splash this offseason by signing Kazuma Okamoto, a big-time bat out of Japan who’s expected to factor in heavily at third base. But with that addition comes a ripple effect across the roster, particularly among players who don’t have the luxury of minor league options. That’s where Jiménez finds himself in a precarious spot.
At 24, Jiménez is still young with upside, and he’s shown he can handle both middle infield positions defensively. He’s also got some big-league experience under his belt, which makes him a tempting waiver claim for another club if the Blue Jays don’t keep him on the Opening Day roster. That’s the dilemma: he’s out of options, and if he doesn’t make the team, Toronto would have to expose him to waivers.
The challenge is that Jiménez doesn’t necessarily fill a pressing need for the Jays right now. Up the middle, they’re set.
Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez are penciled in as everyday guys at second and short. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is locked in at first.
That leaves third base as the only real question mark-and even there, the Jays have options.
Okamoto is expected to get the bulk of the reps at third, but the transition to MLB is always an adjustment, even for elite international talent. Still, the Jays seem ready to give him a shot to lock down the hot corner.
On days when Okamoto isn’t in the lineup, Addison Barger is likely to slide in. Barger brings versatility-he’s also expected to get time in the outfield-which helps the Jays stay flexible with their lineup construction.
That flexibility is part of what makes the roster decisions so tricky. When Barger is playing third, the outfield mix opens up for names like Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes, and Myles Straw. All three offer different skill sets, and their ability to move around the field gives the Blue Jays more depth-but it also pushes a traditional infielder like Jiménez further down the pecking order.
The reality is, Toronto might have to make a tough call. Jiménez has value, but roster spots are limited, and versatility often wins out in today’s game. If he doesn’t make the cut, it’s hard to imagine he clears waivers-there are plenty of teams who’d take a flier on a glove-first infielder with big league experience and room to grow.
Opening Day is still a ways off, but the Blue Jays' infield picture is already coming into focus. And for a player like Jiménez, the next few weeks could be make-or-break.