One week from today, the first meaningful pitch of the 2018 Toronto Blue Jays season will be thrown by J.A. Happ.

With a roster jam-packed full of veterans and very few big-league jobs up for grabs, the past month in Florida has been more about players returning to health, maintaining health, and generally making sure this club is ready to avoid a duplication of last year’s 8-17 April record.

But there are a couple of roster spots still being debated as the team gets set to finish off its Grapefruit League schedule this weekend, and then fly north for its annual two-game exhibition series in Montreal.

Let’s take a look at the projected roster and the job battles still going on.

CATCHER (2)
Russell Martin
Luke Maile

This situation has been set since camp began.

Martin, at the age of 35, will need his workload monitored after two DL stints last season, but the Jays’ brass is convinced Maile’s a better hitter than the .146/.176/.231 slash line he produced in 46 games last season.

His work behind the plate is top notch, so the Jays will give Maile some time to figure it out in the batter’s box.

If he doesn’t, Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire are both percolating in Triple-A and already on the 40-man roster.

INFIELD (7)
Justin Smoak (1B)
Devon Travis (2B)
Josh Donaldson (3B)
Aledmys Diaz (SS)
Kendrys Morales (DH)
Yangervis Solarte
Danny Espinosa*

With Tulowitzki nowhere near returning, the four names around the diamond are set for opening day, and Morales is still around to clog up the roster as a DH-only option.

Solarte will be pencilled into the lineup more often than not, but it’ll be at different spots each day.

He’ll be the primary backup at every single infield spot, with either Danny Espinosa or Gift Ngoepe on hand to provide even more middle infield depth to start the season.

Ngoepe is on the 40-man roster, which gives him a head start on the recently signed veteran, but the fact GM Ross Atkins felt the need to bring in the 30-year-old Espinosa, a career .221 hitter, probably says a lot, as Ngoepe has struggled to a .200 batting average with 13 strikeouts in 35 at-bats this spring.

OUTFIELD (4)
Curtis Granderson (LF)
Kevin Pillar (CF)
Randal Grichuk (RF)
Steve Pearce

The desire to carry extra middle infield depth pushes Teoscar Hernandez out of any sort of conversation about a fifth outfielder, and sends the pop in his right-handed bat back to Triple-A.

Pillar and Grichuk, who seems recovered from an oblique injury but any sort of setback over the next week could change this scenario in a hurry, are in line for everyday at-bats.

Granderson and Pearce will make up the left-field platoon.

With Hernandez, Anthony Alford, Dalton Pompey and Dwight Smith Jr. creating quite the logjam at Triple-A, you could argue all four of the veteran outfielders are one extended slump away from losing significant playing time.

STARTING ROTATION (5)
LHP J.A. Happ
RHP Aaron Sanchez
RHP Marco Estrada
RHP Marcus Stroman
LHP Jaime Garcia

No explanation needed here. The five arms projected to be in the rotation a month ago have stayed healthy – or, in Stroman’s case, have returned to health – and they’re ready to go. It’s a solid five with some upside.

BULLPEN (7)
RHP Roberto Osuna
RHP Seung-Hwan Oh
RHP Ryan Tepera
RHP Danny Barnes
LHP Aaron Loup
RHP John Axford*
RHP Tyler Clippard*

In a seven-man bullpen setup, there were three jobs available when camp began. 

Oh’s signing quickly took care of one of those.

That left a group of seven arms battling for two jobs over the past month, and most of them acquitted themselves well.

At one point, lefties Matt Dermody, Tim Mayza and Craig Breslow were all in the mix, but Dermody’s continued to have problems with the long ball and was designated for assignment Tuesday, while Breslow was reportedly informed he won’t be making the club.

Mayza’s 2.08 ERA and eight strikeouts in 8.2 innings could’ve easily earned him a job, but it’s all about protecting pitching assets at this time of year and his minor-league options won’t help the 26-year-old lefty out.

On the mound, Axford and Clippard, who has a proven ability to get lefties out, have stood out, as both have more strikeouts than innings pitched and ERAs under 2.00 this spring.

Al Alburquerque and Luis Santos were the two other names in the mix, but they’re longshots now.

The two issues with this setup?

One is there’s no long man, which puts pressure on the rotation to pitch at least moderately deep into games.

The second is Axford and Clippard will both have to be added to the 40-man roster.

Recently acquired lefty Sam Moll or a young outfielder such as Dalton Pompey or Dwight Smith Jr. might be in danger of being taken off.

DISABLED LIST (3)
SS Troy Tulowitzki (heel)
RHP Carlos Ramirez (shoulder)
OF Anthony Alford (hamstring)

The only question with Tulowitzki is if he’ll be placed on the 10-day DL and attempt to return sometime in April from the bone spur and right ankle woes, or if he’ll hit the 60-day DL and aim to return in a couple months.

Ramirez hasn’t pitched since suffering a shoulder strain in late February, while Alford will rehab his Grade 2 right hamstring strain and then head to Triple-A.

Tulowitzki and Ramirez going on the 60-day DL would clear out a pair of 40-man roster spots.

OPTIONS FOR TRIPLE-A BUFFALO ROTATION
RHP Joe Biagini
LHP Ryan Borucki
RHP Taylor Guerrieri
RHP Sam Gaviglio
RHP Deck McGuire
RHP Luis Santos
RHP Chris Rowley
LHP Thomas Pannone (suspended for 80 games)​