A little bit of news this morning as the Jays finalize the roster:
- Alan Roden officially made the team. Look, he slashed .423/.556/.731 this spring. At a certain point he really didn’t give them a choice. I’m really happy for him, and I think there’s a good chance he’ll just keep hitting enough that they have to let him stick around.
- Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes get the other two final spots while Addison Barger was sent down. Less happy about that. Barger also raked this spring, and while he has work to do on his approach I’m not sure it’s the kind of thing that a third season in Buffalo will really help him with. At a certain point the only way to learn to stay off MLB sliders is to see a bunch of them. Plus, while Myles Straw hit well in camp, his major league results aren’t secret. We can all see he that he slugged under .280 (not a typo) over the past three seasons.
- The bullpen is still somewhat up in the air as they wait to find out exactly where Max Scherzer’s thumb situation lands. That decision will have to come soon, though, as Ryan Yarbrough has triggered his opt-out clause after a strong spring. They have until 2:00pm today to either offer him a roster spot (which would most likely come from Sherzer hitting the IL) or allow him to become a free agent.
With both the Golden Grapefruit* and their franchise catcher secured, the Blue Jays take something of a victory lap today against the Pirates. Chris Bassitt will attempt to close out a brilliant spring in style, facing off against Bailey Falter.
Pirates Lineup
- Tommy Pham, LF
- Bryan Reynolds, RF
- Oneil Cruz, DH
- Joey Bart, C
- Jack Suwinski, CF
- Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B
- Nick Gonzalez, 2B
- Jared Triolo, 1B
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS
Blue Jays Lineup:
- Bo Bichette, SS
- Vladimir Guerrero jr., DH
- Anthony Santander, RF
- Andres Gimenez, 2B
- Tyler Heineman, C
- George Springer, CF
- Will Wagner, 1B
- Ernie Clement, 2B
- Nathan Lukes, LF
Go Jays Go!
*Not a real thing