Where will Jays GM Ross Atkins turn next?

Scott Mitchell

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Five weeks remain until pitchers and catchers report to Dunedin in mid-February, and Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins still has somewhere in the neighbourhood of $20 million to spend.

Typical MLB off-season this is not.

All 30 teams around baseball have been slow playing this winter’s free-agent market, not just the Blue Jays, and it’s a stance that has shown very few signs of changing since the calendar flipped to 2018.

Despite not spending a single penny in free agency, the Jays general manager has at least been able to improve one area of his roster, making three trades to acquire middle infield depth.

In Yangervis Solarte, Aledmys Diaz and Gift Ngoepe, the Jays have more versatility, more upside, and, in general, more talent than they did when the 2017 season ended.

But while adding depth and better contingency plans behind the fragile Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis will help, it’s done very little to improve an offence that finished dead last in the American League in runs scored or a rotation that rolled out 14 different starters last season.

Now that Atkins’ fixation on the middle infield has seemingly been taken care of, where does the Jays GM turn next?

RIGHT FIELD

On a couple of occasions over the past six weeks, Atkins has mentioned that he’d be comfortable heading into the new season with the current outfield mix.

That’s, of course, a way to publicly portray confidence in his roster – something that the fan base could certainly use a jolt of these days – but, at the same time, it’s hard to believe.

Barring something unexpected, Kevin Pillar returns in centre, and Atkins will throw as many options as he can at the wall in left and hope something sticks.

Currently, that mix includes Steve Pearce, Ezequiel Carrera, Teoscar Hernandez, and, to some extent, prospects like Anthony Alford, Dalton Pompey and Dwight Smith Jr., all of whom are on the 40-man roster.

A potent right field bat is the glaring need here, and there’s reason to believe the Jays can do a lot better than this time last year when a return engagement with Jose Bautista for $18 million was the only solution.

Carlos Gonzalez and Jay Bruce – two names the Jays have already kicked tires on – are still out there, while bigger-ticket items like J.D. Martinez and Lorenzo Cain are also patiently waiting to set the outfield market.

ROTATION

Save for maybe a veteran arm or two that could battle Joe Biagini for the fifth and final spot, the rotation seems set.

But that’s only if Atkins spends, as expected, a good portion of his remaining payroll wiggle room on an outfielder.

There’s always the chance of pivoting off that plan, adding a low-cost corner outfield option, signing a mid-rotation starter, and eventually sending Biagini back to the bullpen role he’s thrived in.

With Aaron Sanchez’s blister issues leaving him in limbo until there’s a proven solution found, there’s a clear need for depth and a contingency plan, not unlike the middle infield situation.

Adding a Lance Lynn or an Alex Cobb to the middle of the rotation would be the (expensive) dream, but they could set their sights a tier or two below, where veterans like Andrew Cashner, Jeremy Hellickson, Jaime Garcia, Jason Vargas, Brett Anderson and Chris Tillman reside.

BULLPEN

The only area of the roster you could call a strength heading into the winter, Atkins will likely still look to do exactly what he did last year – find a bargain.

Last February, Atkins inked right-handed reliever Joe Smith to a one-year, $3-million deal, and it couldn’t have worked out better.

Smith ended up pitching to a 3.28 ERA in 35.2 innings, allowing Atkins to flip him to the Cleveland Indians at the deadline in exchange for two prospects, including lefty Tom Pannone, who will start the season in the rotation at Triple-A Buffalo.

Attrition is always the key word when it comes to bullpens, and even though it’s a strength on paper today, they’ll inevitably need depth to keep it one for 162 games.

Luckily, there are lots of options still out there – Atkins just has to find the Joe Smiths and not the J.P. Howells.

The most intriguing possibility would be adding a lefty like Tony Watson, Xavier Cedeno, Kevin Siegrist or Robbie Ross to pair with Aaron Loup.

BACKUP CATCHER

The Jays’ front office likes 27-year-old Luke Maile, whose defensive metrics aligned with the praise the pitching staff was heaping on him last season.

But the .146/.176/.231 slash line would not be hard to upgrade, even in the offensive wasteland that is the backup catcher role across baseball.

The saving grace this year, unlike 2017, is the fact prospects Reese McGuire and Danny Jansen are now on the verge of the majors, and both were added to the 40-man roster this winter.

At worst, McGuire might be a carbon copy of Maile – solid glove, very little bat – but Jansen could be the future behind the plate if he can build off his 2017 breakout with a full season in Triple-A.

Any veteran addition to the catcher depth chart is likely to be unexciting as there is very little on the market behind Jonathan Lucroy and Alex Avila.​