Blue Jays brass sends mixed messages on Day 1

Injury updates dominate Jays opening meet-and-greet

For 45 years, from 1978-2022, Valentine’s Day had always signalled my unofficial end of winter, either already being in Florida, setting up for a month in the sun, awaiting Expos or Blue Jays spring training or else at home packing my bags, ignoring the snow on the driveway and the frigid ride to the airport, preparing to head south for seven weeks of camp, in Daytona Beach, West Palm Beach or Dunedin. The fact is, for baseball lifers, attending MLB training camp is the best time of the year.

The Blue Jays annual Day 1 sporting euphoria began for media and staffers again on Wednesday in Dunedin, unfortunately, again, without me for the fourth straight spring. However, with eyes wide shut, I concentrated and believed I could hear the clatter of spikes on concrete as players wandered from the clubhouse towards their first group station, the smiling, chatty conversations of future friends for life (although they may not yet know it) catching up on their family and workout winters. I still can in mind’s eye smile and imagine the sounds of ball smacking into glove, of bat colliding with ball, at varying decibels, depending on the player wielding the bat.

But this particular ‘26 Jays spring training camp now unfolding at the Jays training complex, without a doubt a state-of-the-art MLB facility, their first camp as defending AL Champions since 1994, began with a series of fan-shaking announcements, lowlighted by injury updates that demand an organization Plan B at least be available in the top drawer of the GM’s desk to set up for Opening Day in late March.

Anthony Santander: Entering the second season of a, thus-far unfortunate, five-year, $92.5-million free agent contract. There remains $65.5M guaranteed, including a $5M buyout of a 2030 club option. The switch-hitting 31-year-old will shockingly miss the next 5-6 months due to left shoulder surgery. The club said he experienced that discomfort after ramping up his program in January preparing for spring training. Maybe the Siren’s Song of repping Venezuela in the WBC made him wait, but if he had let them know in December, he might have been back by the All-Star break.

The club was anticipating, or at least hoping for, a rebound season from the likeable Venezuelan native, who earned his FA contract on the heels of a 44-homer season for the Orioles in 2024. If healthy, he would have been pencilled in primarily in left field, but also as an occasional DH on days that Georger Springer or Vlad Guerrero was not filling that role. He still has contract value if he comes back healthy in 2027, with Springer a free-agent after the current year, that leaves the DH spot open in ’27.

Where does that leave Santander’s ’26 roster spot? Face it, there were too many outfielders to begin with, but none of them with the offensive punch that a healthy Santander can provide. Four outfielders is the MLB norm, unless the DH is filled by a player whose primary position is listed as OF, such as the Jays have with Springer. Then five outfielders is acceptable. Consider this team’s 40-man roster and here are the protected outfielders: Springer, Daulton Varsho, Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider (UT), Addison Barger (UT), Jonatan Clase and Joey Loperfido. Even without Santander, that’s eight with major-league experience, competing for five spots. That’s not even including dark-horse invitee Eloy Jimenez, who has 534 career games and 95 MLB homers with the White Sox and O’s.

Bowden Francis: The feel-good story of late ’24, Francis was seen as a vital part of the opening day 5-man rotation last year, but spiralled quickly out of the picture, making 14 starts, posting a 6.05 ERA, spending the rest of the season on the sidelines.

Acquired in a long-ago trade with Milwaukee alongside Trevor Richards, for Rowdy Tellez, Francis is now undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow and is done for the season. This was announced but will not really impact the Jays in 2026. Francis had dropped down to at least ninth on this year’s starting pitcher depth chart.

Shane Bieber: No real surprise here, with this setback, but on Tuesday, Day 1 ahead of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, manager John Schneider suggested that RHP Shane Bieber was still suffering from forearm fatigue. A recent off-season MRI had confirmed a diagnosis we had been hearing about since November. At that time it was listed as a late start to spring training. What was newsy here was the update that Bieber was expected to be brought along slowly and unavailable for Opening Day.

The point here, recognizing that this is a perfect definition of hindsight being 20-20, is the question of why was Bieber on the mound in the 11^th inning of World Series Game 7, vs. the Dodgers if the team was aware that he was suffering from arm fatigue. The timing of the Bieber shrug in November is that they were aware in October. In any case, that leaves the Jays’ still strong rotation with Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce and one more, either Eric Lauer or Jose Berrios.

Jose Berrios: Ugly. The situation with the rotation that includes a delayed season for Bieber really helps to explain why Jose Berrios is still in camp and why there has been no rumoured exploration, yet, of a possible trade. At Tuesday’s alarming preamble to Day 1, Schneider admitted that the entire late season and playoff roster situation with the proud Puerto Rican, Berrios, was mishandled by the club – although he also said it could have been handled better by Jose. The relationship will never be the same.

Recall that after seven-plus major-league seasons of never missing a start, taking the ball every five days for the Twins and Jays, since 2017, the club replaced him in the rotation down the stretch and callously said “nothing to see here.”

Berrios forever works as hard as anyone in baseball to keep himself ready and he had proudly made exactly 32 starts in seven straight full seasons. He was on pace to do that again, when in September he was pulled from the rotation and given an undefined relief role. Then, he was awarded an undefined injury, likely after he voiced his displeasure, and never made it back on the roster for any round of playoffs. He disappeared from the team for the World Series while other injured players stayed and cheered on the Jays. There was no real explanation given for his absence, other than the vague “family”. Bottom line to me is the Jays had a .630 win pwecwntage over his entire Jays career, even through his disappointing analytic seasons.

In November, there was no concern about Berrios when executives were asked about his health status. No followups, no rehabs. Heading to spring, there was no question from anywhere that Berrios was ready to go. More disappointment? Jose is usually a lock for Team Puerto Rico and the WBC, but this time, he was excluded from the first round for an island team that could have used him. Maybe his absence was the fact that injured players, including key Puerto Ricans were uninsurable because of injuries.

Recently, he has been added and declared in a pool of potential WBC players if P.R. advances to the quarterfinals and Week 2. For that to happen, the Jays would have had to approve that inclusion. Sources in Puerto Rico are suggesting that Bad Bunny got involved, late, on behalf of insuring Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor and perhaps Berrios, Benito’s fellow countrymen. Lindor now has a fractured hamate and is out.

The Jays would love to see Berrios pitch in the WBC and have him pitch well. It would boost his value and make him easier to trade. Bottom line. Jose has three seasons and $66M remaining through ‘29, but has an opt out after this season, which, after the controversy, he may choose to do. The downside is that he would leave $48M on the table for 2027-28. If he is an afterthought this season and stays with the Jays as an extra starter, he would likely turn around and accept the guaranteed final two seasons because of demand. But if he is traded now, it would more than likely be to a team he could firm up the final two seasons in advance, giving the Jays a better return. Face it, the Jays did not bring Cody Ponce in at three years, $30M to pitch out of the pen.

Can the Jays repeat:

1-The Jays are not sneaking up on anyone this year. So many times in the past few years, even when competing for a wildcard, opponents would shape the rotation to bypass the Jays and load manage their best players on artificial turf. No more. The Jays are no longer on the table, they are on the menu.

2-The Jays remain in MLB’s toughest division. The Yankees and Red Sox always will compete for the post-season. The O’s believe they can return to their breakout form of ’24 but need more pitching. The Rays are Jays Kryptonite.

3-The Jays need 2-3 pleasant surprises. One could be 3B Kazuma Okamoto if he brings his offensive skills intact from Japan. Another could be the bullpen setup guys, with Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland, Yimi Garcia and Mason Fluharty. How about if Vlad Guerrero Jr. continues his breakout of confidence that began down the stretch and through the post-season. Then there’s Ponce and Yesavage.

4-There is a difference between being cute, trendy contenders and targeted champions. The increased media attention that comes with winning and with signing a Japanese star is something they have not encountered before. It begins right now.

5-It’s not easy to get back to the top. Since 2001, over the past 24 years, just six teams have gone to consecutive World Series – Phillies 2008-09; Rangers 2010-11; Royals 2014-15; Dodgers 2017-18 and 2024-25; Astros 2021-22.