Today marks the deadline for teams to submit to Major League Baseball their initial spring training player pools, which can comprise up to 60 players. Players are not eligible to participate in either a spring training or regular season game until they are included in the pool. Teams are free to change the makeup of the pools as they see fit. However, players removed from a team’s 60-man (for reasons unrelated to injury, suspension, etc.) must be exposed to other organizations via trade or waivers.
Not all players within a team’s pool are ticketed for MLB playing time, of course. Most teams will include well-regarded but still far-off prospects as a means of getting them training reps with no intention of running them onto a major league diamond this season. A comprehensive review of 2020’s unique set of rules can be found here.
The Blue Jays’ initial player pool consists of the following players.
Right-handed pitchers
- Chase Anderson
- Anthony Bass
- A.J. Cole
- Rafael Dolis
- Wilmer Font
- Sam Gaviglio
- Ken Giles
- Thomas Hatch
- Elvis Luciano
- Alek Manoah
- Julian Merryweather
- Justin Miller
- Patrick Murphy
- Joey Murray
- Nate Pearson
- Hector Perez
- Jake Petricka
- Sean Reid-Foley
- Tanner Roark
- Jordan Romano
- Matt Shoemaker
- Trent Thornton
- Ty Tice
- Jacob Waguespack
- Simeon Woods Richardson
- Shun Yamaguchi
- T.J. Zeuch
Left-handed pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
- Bo Bichette
- Cavan Biggio
- Andy Burns
- Brandon Drury
- Santiago Espinal
- Jordan Groshans
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- Joe Panik
- Travis Shaw
- Kevin Smith
- Ruben Tejada
- Rowdy Tellez
Outfielders
8 guys in the outfield
But not one who can play CF
Alford, Davis and Grich can all play CF
Alford, Davis, and Wall can play CF. Problem is, none of them can hit.
And Alford isn’t that great in it. Same with Fisher.
I really don’t like that I agree with JD on this.
Anthony Alford is the Jonathan Davis of Forrest Wall’s
One of their priorities this year is to sort out the outfield and allow the younger players to develop at the major league level. This is a 60 game tryout at most positions, so expect them to go deep into the FA market this Fall to fill holes.
Can they add Austin Martin when he’s signed?
I’m sure he wouldn’t see any game action but would be some valuable development time.
They gotta sign him first! I’m getting a little nervous we haven’t heard anything yet!!!
They have until August 1st to sign him and he’s a Boras client, it’ll happen eventually
But would be nice to throw him on the 60 man for the “spring training” games
They have 2 open spaces, so I presume one of them would be for Martin. He will be the last first rounder signed. Boras will try to talk them to death first, and will delay until the end to see how the market develops. They will get paid over slot; the question is how much.
I can tell you had never watch a jays game….Grichuk is more than capable of playing CF.
Have you watched a jays game? Grich is negative value in cf. he’s your prototypical average rf. Basically Colby Rasmus without the above average defence
in 2019, Grichuk was +2 DRS and -2 UZR in CF. He’s about average. He’ll do for 60 games with Davis playing in centre late in games.
But I think we can all agree we’d love to see a big upgrage in CF for 2021. He have young studs at most positions in the pipeline, but not CF. Go get one Jays! Spare no expense! I’ll let you cash in all my empties!
For a bad team, yes. For a good team, no. For 60 games? Maybe.
What would be their 5-man behind Ryu and Roark?
I would go with Ryu, Shoemaker, Pearson, Roark, Thornton. Then you can have Anderson, Dolis, Yamaguchi, Gaviglio, Giles, Romano out of the pen with a couple others. I’d like to see what Borucki has if healthy, maybe Kay.
I think you will see Anderson break camp in the rotation with Pearson the first injury callup.
After 7 games or days (can’t remember), Pearson will have the extra year of eligibility. Call him up then.
They are more than capable for 4/5 place in al east yes
Short season! Anything can happen.
They’ll win the east.
Stating the obvious again. Nobody expects them to finish in the playoffs, so just sit back and watch the kids play.
Sad collection of outfielders. Only upside is Lourdes’ bat. Might have to convert Cavan to CF, hope Martin develops and produces, and sign another OF in free agency because I just don’t see any difference makers in that group
Corner outfield spots can usually be filled quite easily, just look at the recent World Series Champs Washington(Kendrick), Boston(Pearce). So if our rebuild has a hole, I’m glad it’s in the outfield. Toronto has a stock pile of talented, valuable young infielders. They’re also loaded with big right handed starting pitching prospects that will be coming up in waves these next 2 years. Lots of catchers in the system as well.. They are going to have a lot of payroll flexibility as well to sign a Betts or our version of the Cubs(Lester) or Nats(Scherzerer) signings. Lots to look forward to , Mark and Ross are doing a good job at this rebuild.
What were you trying to convey to scott here? Your diatribe did not address the fact that CF is a problem for the Blue Jays moving forward, and unless a conversion is happening in 2020 this is simply a prolonged development. Any young infielder is at least 2 years away, and no Kevin Smith or Logan Warmoth are answers until they can hit AA pitching.
How was the haul for the big Josh Donaldson trade?
Rebuild has a long, long way to go. Extended longer due to this pandemic.
Would love to see Biggio tried out in CF before any combination of Grichuk/Hernandez.
Biggio looked to have great instincts in his brief corner outfield action.
Davis is a great safety net to have as a defensive replacement, especially with Biggio’s flexibility.
Gurriel/Grichuk/Biggio with a majority of the outfield innings and Hernandez/Alford/Mckinney/Fisher battling for scraps until the inevitable IL stint opens up some time or one of them needs to be cut.
That would be best bet in my eyes.
I think there is a 15 pitcher max, and I expect a 15/15 split on the initial 30 man roster.
Jansen, Mcguire
Bichette, Biggio, Drury, Guerrero, Panik, Shaw, Tellez
Alford, Davis, Fisher, Grichuk, Gurriel, Hernandez, Mckinney
If everybody stays healthy, one of these guys may not even make the first cut.
And 2 more bats likely cut once rosters are down to 26.
A lot of competition could lead to a hot start and that could lead to trade deadline action. Rebuild could be on the verge of being realized.
More likely that injuries and sicknesses will occur and the roster crunch will become more of a scramble to fill the depth, but for now I’m happy to dream big.
You have the wrong link to my boy, Kevin Smith:
baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=smi…