Trio battling for Toronto's final roster spot
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DUNEDIN, Fla. -- After six weeks of Spring Training, Blue Jays manager John Schneider seems extremely comfortable with his 2023 group.
When asked Monday morning if there are any other roster questions that need to be answered before Thursday’s Opening Day game against St. Louis, Schneider provided a quick “No” before expanding.
“Everyone is where they should be and where we had hoped they [would] get to," Schneider said. "It’s been nice to kind of sit back and say, ‘OK, all quiet here.’”
It has been a quiet, smooth camp for Toronto, generally free of major injury concerns or any conflicts that can deliver unwanted spring stress.
But Schneider’s assessment isn’t entirely correct. There is still one question left hanging in the humid Florida air as the Blue Jays prepare to travel north: Who is going to earn that last spot on the bench?
“We’re still kind of working through it, to be honest with you,” Schneider said. “We’re pretty close. But there’s really no wrong way to go I think in that spot.”
Ostensibly, there are three ways the Blue Jays can choose to go when it comes to the 26th roster spot. Let’s take a quick look at the top candidates.
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Toronto’s No. 14 prospect might be leading this competition as his successful spring bookended an impressive showing at the World Baseball Classic.
Lopez has been everything, everywhere for Toronto. Even after going 0-for-2 in the team’s Spring Training home finale vs. the Phillies on Monday, he is batting a cool .348 with a .922 OPS and twice as many walks (four) as strikeouts (two).
He complements his high-contact approach with 60-grade speed and a willingness to play just about anywhere on the diamond. He has played five positions in spring -- second base, third base, shortstop, left field and center field.
“I would not say it comes natural,” Lopez said about his do-it-all defense. “I’m an infielder naturally, but I’ve been working out with the coaches here and trying to be [versatile] in the outfield as in the infield. Everything happens before the game -- practicing in the infield and getting more balls in the outfield, shagging -- that really helps and makes me feel more comfortable in a game.”
Said Schneider: “He’s been everything that we could have hoped for.”
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One game probably won’t turn the tide, but if there was any player in this competition who helped himself the most in Monday's 5-2 loss to Philly, it was the 28-year-old Lukes. He produced two hits -- a 103 mph single up the middle and a ball that he ripped into the right-field corner for an RBI triple.
Lukes has handled all three outfield positions in spring. He is batting .297 with only three strikeouts through 37 March at-bats. That falls in line with his 2022 output as he recorded an 80% contact rate at Triple-A Buffalo.
“I think he’s just very professional,” Schneider said of Lukes’ skill set. “We saw it last year in camp and throughout the year in Buffalo, and it’s kind of been more of the same this year. Just reliable. Good at-bats. Sound defensively [and] on the bases. Did a really, really good job this camp.”
Capra doesn’t have Lopez’s dynamic ability on the basepaths, but he does carry a similar ability to play the infield and outfield, as well as having a fantastic batting eye. He owns a .438 on-base percentage thanks to his eight walks this spring, including another one on Monday. He has struck out only thrice while splitting time largely between third base and left field. Capra, 26, has also moonlighted at second base and shortstop.
He logged matching strikeout and walk rates at Buffalo last season (13.1%) and got to enjoy his first Major League hit while spending eight games with the Blue Jays in May.
One of these three players will receive good news from Schneider very soon. Two others will be told to keep their head up and keep grinding. It’s not a position that the manager envies.
“It’ll be a tough decision and tough conversations with a couple of them, but … those guys have done a hell of a job,” Schneider said.