Toronto Blue Jays have several players fighting for Opening Day roster spots
We are now less than a week away from the Toronto Blue Jays 2025 season opener.
The Blue Jays will kick off their season on March 27 against the Baltimore Orioles in the first of a four-game series. While that is all that’s on the mind of the fan base, John Schneider and his staff have several big decisions to make in the days that lead up.
The Blue Jays have already made several roster decisions, cutting nine players on Thursday and an additonal two yesterday. They now have 30 players on their active roster and will need to trim that down to 26.
Earlier today, outfielder Davis Schneider and catcher Tyler Heineman were informed that they will be on the Opening Day roster. That leaves others such as Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Alan Roden, and Steward Berroa fighting for spots.
Barger, 25, is a versatile option who can play shortstop, third base, and right field. He appeared in 69 games with the Jays last season, hitting just .197 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs. He’s having a great spring training, however, hitting .367 through 35 plate appearances.
Lukes, 30, can play anywhere in the outfield but is most comfortable at centre. With Daulton Varsho out to begin the season, he could wind up getting an opportunity based on positioning alone. That said, he hasn’t had a great spring training with a .206 batting average.
Straw was acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians this past offseason. The former Gold Glove winner spent the majority of the 2024 season in Triple-A, but has 562 MLB games under his belt. The veteran outfielder is hitting a blistering .414 through 32 plate appearances in spring training.
One very intriguing name on this list is Roden, who hit .314 in 71 games with Triple-A Buffalo last season. The 25-year-old right fielder has yet to play in the MLB, but his impressive .391 batting average in spring training could change that.
Last but not least is Berroa, who appeared in 28 games with the Blue Jays last season. Yet another outfielder, the 25-year-old is slashing .303 with a home run and four RBIs through spring training.
The Blue Jays have just two more spring training games on their schedule, meaning these final few decisions they have to make will take place in the coming days.
- You might also like:
- Toronto Blue Jays make pair of cuts including one everyday player