The Blue Jays are still a long way from their 2027 Opening Day roster, but that hasn’t stopped the early look from taking shape.
With the 2026 season now in the books - and the Milwaukee Brewers fresh off their first World Series title in franchise history after beating the Tampa Bay Rays - baseball is headed into another uncertain stretch. If the owners and players fail to reach a collective bargaining agreement by Dec. 1, the sport is staring at its second lockout in five years. A lot still has to get done before then, and it does not look likely that everything gets hammered out.
Assuming the game keeps moving forward and 2027 arrives on schedule, Toronto’s roster picture already points in a few clear directions. Here’s a projection for the Blue Jays’ 26-man Opening Day group, including one expected re-signing and a couple of outside additions.
On the position-player side, the infield projects to feature Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Andres Gimenez, Ernie Clement, Kazuma Okamoto, Charles McAdoo and Josh Smith. The outfield mix includes Brett Bateman, Seiya Suzuki, Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger and Myles Straw.
Straw is the only Blue Jays free agent projected to return. He is on an $8 million club option that should be picked up.
Toronto’s rotation, though, looks thin enough to force action. The club is currently working with a four-man rotation, so another starter feels necessary.
Shane Bieber is mentioned as a possible addition if the Blue Jays decide they want more depth on the mound. But there are also bigger names out there, including Tarik Skubal, Michael King, Brandon Woodruff and Kevin Gausman.
The projected fit that stands out most is Shota Imanaga. Toronto would like to land a left-handed starter, and he checks that box.
Imanaga finished last season with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over 32 starts for the Chicago Cubs. He brings strikeouts and keeps walks down, but the home run issue is real: he gave up 35 last season, the second-most in baseball.
The projected rotation also includes Dylan Cease, Jose Soriano, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce.
In the bullpen, the projection keeps the whole group together: Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Spencer Miles, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Brendon Little and Joe Mantiply. That gives Toronto a reliever corps that remains intact and, on paper, strong.
The outfield picture gets a jolt from Suzuki. The Blue Jays need more punch in the lineup, and he offers exactly that.
He is one of the top power-hitting outfielders available, and he has been productive against left-handed pitching. In this projection, he fits Toronto cleanly and would not be a surprise on Opening Day.
The infield stays mostly steady, with Guerrero Jr. expected to be back after a bounce-back season is hoped for. Clement and Gimenez handle the middle, while Okamoto remains at third. Toronto could still bring in another inexpensive infielder before the roster is finalized.
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Bowden put a price tag on the chase as well, projecting Suzuki for a five-year, $120 million deal and Itoh for two years at $22 million. The bigger question for Toronto is which direction it leans if it gets into the mix, since both players would address different needs and both would draw competition from other teams expected to be involved. [Read more 🡒]