3 position battles that will define Blue Jays Spring Training, and who will win

The Toronto Blue Jays have a lot going on this spring. Although they are led by a handful of superstars all over the diamond, some very critical depth spots remain up for grabs, with several big-league caliber players competing for them.

This organization is in a difficult spot where they have so many players that possess pro talent but may not be ready just yet. They will not be able to try out all these players in the big leagues this season, so their spring performances are extremely important and will take them a long way.

The philosophy built within the Blue Jays organization represents player versatility, and bringing value to other areas of the game besides just hitting. That being said, it is hard to categorize many current Jays players into just one position, as they are expected to be ready to play anywhere. For isntance, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Davis Schnieder regularly move around the diamond and man multiple positions.

For the sake of this article, I have differentiated the position groups with the closest and most serious competition as follows: Middle infielders (2B/SS), third basemen, and relief pitchers. I also have highlighted the players I believe will win the battles in spring and make the opening day 26-man roster.

All statistics used in this article were referred to from fangraphs.com

Battle for the middle infield

Eduardo Escobar 

Earlier this week, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Eduardo Escobar to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Not that the team needed more external players to add to the competition, but nonetheless, Escobar is a savvy vet who has spent more than 10 seasons in the big leagues.

The big advantage Escobar possesses over almost everyone else on this team is his extreme defensive versatility. Throughout his career, he has spent significant time playing 2B, 3B, SS, and LF, all at an above-average level. The area in which Escobar trails everyone else, though, is with his bat. For his career, Escobar slashes .253/.305/.430. He also has a very poor walk-to-strikeout ratio of 0.34, and he has rarely shown consistent power. His best season was back in 2019 when he hit 35 home runs.

Ernie Clement 

Since originally getting the call to the show in 2021 by the Cleveland Guardians (he was signed by the Blue Jays in spring 2023), Ernie Clement has been back and forth throughout the MLB and AAA. Ernie Clement was never a high draft pick or highly touted prospect, but in the late part of the 2023 season, he made himself a strong case to stay on the Blue Jays roster.

Prior to his debut with the Jays last season, Clement slashed .204/.261/.264 with 3 career home runs and 15 RBIs (in 109 career games). However, after swapping between AAA and the big leagues throughout 2023, Clement found his stride late in the year and put together a solid season as a backup, slashing .380/.385/.500. Sure, this was in a very small sample size (52 plate appearances), but there is reason to believe that Clement developed and actually improved his game, and this new form is here to stay.

Prediction: Barring an extremely poor spring from Clement and an excellent spring from Escobar, the Blue Jays will choose Clement to stay and play on the major league roster.

Battle for 3B

Orelvis Martinez

Orelvis Martinez is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the Blue Jays organization and the 66th-ranked overall prospect in baseball, according to Fangraphs’ rankings. He has been under the spotlight since signing with the team in 2018 and has shown an ability to grow and adapt throughout his time in the minor leagues.

In 2021, Martinez slashed .261/.345/.549 and hit 28 home runs in A ball. He was then (aggressively) promoted to AA in ‘22, where his numbers took a step back. He slashed .203/.286/.446 (his SLG was still high, as he did manage to hit 30 home runs that season). After taking time to go back to the basics, Martinez regrouped and had a much better 2023, slashing .243/.340/.496 while hitting 28 home runs (between AA and AAA play). There are still concerns looming with Martinez’s eye, speed, and defence, but his power is undeniable and might be enough to elevate him to the major league as early as March 29th.

Addison Barger 

Barger is the fourth overall ranked prospect in the Blue Jays farm system and did not qualify for the Fangraphs top 100 prospect ranking. Like Martinez, the Blue Jays saw the raw power in Barger, which has proven to exist throughout his minor league journey.

In his five minor league seasons, Barger’s SLG is .460, and in 2022, he erupted, hitting 26 home runs and possessing an OPS of .933 (over A, AA, and AAA ball). In 2023, Barger took a step back, only slugging .392 and hitting 9 home runs (in 30 fewer games, albeit). One way Barger clearly has an advantage over Martinez though is through defensive capability and versatility – Barger can play third base quite well and man the right-field position if necessary.

Prediction: Martinez continues to show more drastic improvement, has a slightly better spring, and ends up making the opening-day roster over Barger.

Battle for RP

Yariel Rodriguez

Earlier this year, in January, the Blue Jays signed former Cuban and Japanese league pitcher Yariel Rodriguez to a five-year contract. As a full-time reliever in Japan, Rodriguez posted a 1.15 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 54.2 innings. He also made two starts for Cuba in the world baseball classic the last time he pitched competitively, posting a 2.45 ERA while striking out 10 batters in 7.1 innings pitched.  The idea with Rodriguez may eventually be to put him in the starting rotation, but since he has not pitched competitively since March 2023, he will need time to build up as well as face major league hitters in lower leverage situations before handing him a significant role.

Bowden Francis

Bowden Francis is a baseball player I enjoy watching and believing in. During his time as a rookie with the Blue Jays last year, Francis had a 1.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts and just eighth walks in 36.1 innings pitched. He was used in a variety of different roles as a one-inning opener, a bulk reliever, and, on occasion, a late-inning man. His versatility and belief in his ability from within the clubhouse really helps his case for landing a spot on the Blue Jays opening day roster.

Yosver Zulueta

Zulueta is the 9th ranked Blue Jays prospect and did not qualify for the Fangraphs top 100 prospects ranking. At the beginning of spring 2023, the hype around Zulueta was unreal, as it seemed like the Blue Jays desperately needed bullpen upgrades, and he was one of the first in line for the job. However, as the season went on and the Jays bullpen ended up holding its ground (with the addition of some trade pieces), the allure surrounding him died down a little. He still has much to offer this ballclub, though, posting a career of 3.91 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 119.2 innings of work throughout the minor leagues.

Prediction: Francis will be first in line and earn a major league spot; If the Blue Jays add another arm to their roster, Rodriguez will be next.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as 3 position battles that will define Blue Jays Spring Training, and who will win.