Ernie Clement may have won over a lot of Blue Jays fans, but his grip on second base still doesn’t look locked in.
Ross Atkins left the door open during his end-of-season media availability, making it clear that Clement will need to earn the job in 2027. That wasn’t a shot at Clement’s talent. Atkins also said the Blue Jays asked a lot of him this year.
Asked about Ernie Clement and whether he has the second base job, Ross Atkins said he’s going to have to earn it. “But he always has.”
That uncertainty matters because this offseason could bring a real market for Toronto to shop in. Second basemen expected to hit free agency include New York Yankees star Jazz Chisholm Jr., Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Brandon Lowe, and Detroit Tigers veteran Gleyber Torres.
If the Blue Jays want to upgrade, Chisholm is the loudest swing. The 28-year-old put up 19 home runs and 41 stolen bases in 137 games with the Yankees this past season, double Clement’s totals of nine homers and seven steals.
And even that counts as a step back for Chisholm, who went for 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 2025. For Toronto, he could help on two fronts the club badly needed in 2026: runs and baserunning, areas where the Blue Jays finished bottom five.
Lowe brings a different kind of punch. At 32, he led all second basemen with 35 home runs last season and has cleared 20 homers in each of his last four years. That kind of steady power would look awfully appealing in Toronto’s infield mix.
Torres might be the cleaner fit. His overall offense tracks more closely with Clement’s, but with a little more pop.
The 29-year-old has averaged 18 home runs a season over nine MLB years, and he has experience hitting near the top of the order. That could matter for the Blue Jays, giving them another bat capable of working counts before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. steps in.
There’s also a connection already in place. Torres and Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez won a world championship together with the Venezuelan national team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Of the three, Torres could be the most realistic target for Toronto’s budget. He just finished a one-year, $22 million deal with Detroit and would likely command a similar number, maybe even less if the Blue Jays wanted to stretch it over three or four seasons.
Clement, meanwhile, isn’t going anywhere soon. He’s arbitration-eligible in 2027 and under team control through the 2029 season, giving Toronto three more years with the 30-year-old.
Even if the Blue Jays bring in help at second, Atkins and the front office probably won’t be ready to move on from Clement. He has already shown he can thrive as a utility piece, and his ability to cover second, shortstop, and third still gives the club real value.
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What makes Miles worth watching now is the way he filled so many different needs along the way. He worked as a starter, an opener and a reliever, and that sort of flexibility can matter a lot for a club heading into a 2027 rotation discussion that is already complicated by injuries and free agency. Spring training should give him a real chance to push into the mix, and the Blue Jays will have to decide whether his value is best as a Swiss-army arm or something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]
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For Bloss, the setting matters because this is less about immediate returns and more about rebuilding momentum after a difficult stretch. Toronto is watching not just the results, but the way his stuff holds up as he gets back into a competitive rhythm, and the Fall League gives him a chance to do that against quality competition. The Blue Jays have several young arms and position players in that showcase, but Bloss stands out because of both his upside and the larger questions still hanging over his path back to the majors. [Read more 🡒]
Brett Bateman Just Changed Torontos Center-Field Conversation
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The performance was enough to draw praise from general manager Ross Atkins, and Batemans willingness to help in any role only added to his appeal. For a club always weighing how to piece together its outfield picture, he has already made himself part of the discussion, even if there is still more to learn about how Toronto plans to use him going forward. [Read more 🡒]