Given how well spring training has gone for so many players in the Blue Jays organization, there is a lot of room for growth and opportunity. So many players can make the team out of spring training, and then end up being off the roster within months, weeks or even days, especially as injuries can occur at any time in the campaign. 
With that notion in mind, let&#8217;s take a look at who may not make the Blue Jays&#8217; Opening Day roster on March 29th but will likely spend some time in the Major Leagues for Toronto at some point in 2025. 
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<h2>Leo Jimenez &#8211; INF</h2>
With the log jam known as the infield for the Blue Jays, Jimenez is a fascinating case. On one hand, his defence and his arm are his key strengths and would do wonders if the Jays need some help at 2B, SS or at 3B. The issue here comes with his bat. So far in 20 at bats in spring training, he has only hit .190 with an OPS of .632. Two of his four hits were doubles, so it shows the power is an upside, but Jimenez has been known as a glove-first infielder for most of his career. 
For Jimenez, the main issue is the amount of depth the team has in the infield now. With names like Bo Bichette (now healthy), Andres Gimenez, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Davis Schneider all able to occupy slots in the infield as needed, Jimenez falls down the depth chart but only slightly. 
Jimenez spent some time in the big leagues last year when Bichette hit the IL and the trade deadline saw veteran players moved out, but to start the season, the Panama product likely starts the year in triple-A. 
<h2>Joey Loperfido &#8211; OF</h2>
This might be one of the toughest calls in this article. 
Given how the outfield in Toronto is currently occupied by Daulton Varsho (who appears to potentially make the team for Opening Day), Anthony Santander, and George Springer, the outfield is crammed for the moment. Especially when you factor in other players fighting for the coveted fourth outfielder spot, including Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Steward Berroa, and Alan Roden, who is making waves this spring.  
Loperfido has not had a fantastic spring, only hitting .174 with four hits (two doubles and one triple) with two RBIs and two walks, but a lot of it was not all good fortune. He crashed into a wall hard during a spring training game against the Cardinals, and that for sure halted all the good momentum and progress he made in the offseason. He also has seven strikeouts through 23 at-bats, showing that the strikeouts are still part of his game &#8211; at least out of the gate.  
Now remember, this is just who makes the team on Opening Day. Loperfido spending a full season in the minors is just not likely as he has a tremendous skill set that the Blue Jays look to unlock as time goes on. Loperfido does have two minor league options available so he can be sent down with ease, other players that are fighting for the spot, such as Lukes, do not have any more options. 
A lot can happen in a season as we saw last year, and I have no doubt by the end of the first half of the season we will see Loperfido in the outfield for Toronto. 
<h2>Michael Stefanic &#8211; INF</h2>
This one is the epitome of a depth player making the most of his opportunity. Coming off a lackluster 90 games with the Angels over three seasons, Stefanic signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays in early December this past offseason. Now this signing may have gone under the radar, and it&#8217;s hard to disagree seeing as Stefanic is a career .232 hitter with an OPS of .591. 
His spring training on the other hand is showing some good promise as he is hitting .353, a huge uptick from his numbers in the big leagues. Now granted, similar to what was mentioned about Jimenez above, there is a log jam in the middle infield for players and Stefanic might be more on the outside looking in. 
Stefanic is primarily a second and third baseman, which has him lower on the depth chart with other names mentioned in this post. In the minor leagues, Stefanic is a great hitter &#8211; in 2024 he posted a .966 OPS in 40 games last season in the Angels system. 
As we’ve seen time and time again, you need depth in case of injuries. It pays to have guys who can slot in and fill the roles as needed, barring any injuries or even struggles to some players at the major league level. 
<h2>Richard Lovelady &#8211; LHP</h2>
Speaking of minor league depth, we now come to the best name. Yes, hold the jokes, but Lovelady can again be someone who&#8217;s an arm the Jays need in a pinch. 
In 2023, the team only had Tim Mayza as their designated left-handed reliever with no other alternative until the team traded for Genesis Cabrera. With Brandon Little slotting into the main left hander spot as of now, there are options for someone else to crack the roster such as Josh Walker and Ryan Yarbrough. 
With an ERA of 4.50 in six innings of work this spring, Lovelady bounced back after a few rough outings in the small sample size. However, with 108 MLB games under his belt and last year split between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays (a combined 4.46 ERA across both teams), Lovelady is for sure an arm the Jays can call on if needed, especially considering he is already with the team on a minor league contract, it can make his transition to the major much easier given how much change and flux a major league bullpen can have throughout the season. 
With Erik Swanson likely starting the season on the IL, it could open a spot for Lovelady to slot into the fold, but the veteran arm will likely start the year in the minors. 
<h2>Mason Fluharty &#8211; LHP</h2>
When asking who certain players that have a real shot of making this team out of spring training were,<a href="https://twitter.com/matthewspanyolo/status/1897354563893752028"> Keegan Matheson answered</a> my question saying two things: A catcher who is not yet on this squad to make the team for the hitters, and Mason Fluharty who would make the team for the pitching side of things. 
At 23, he has already made 56 appearences for the Bisons this past season, sporting a 3.63 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 67 innings. Fluharty is ranked 19th on the Blue Jays top prospects list, and is turning heads in spring training as so far through 5 1/3 innings of work, allowing just three hits and one run through six outings with one walk and eight strikeouts. 
 Fluharty has a very impressive sweeper-like slider that he&#8217;s been using to his advantage, as well as a very effective cutter. He is one of the few young arms the team has been quietly building up, and has been making his case as a dark horse candidate of being on this team by the end of March. 
However, with a team like the Blue Jays who are trying to put together a win now approach, they may want to send Fluharty down to the minors to perfect his stuff. Like I said above with Lovelady, opportunities are far more available for relievers than they are starters. With the impressive work down last season and the strong spring he has had, expect the name of Mason Fluharty to come through the Jays organization sooner rather than later. 
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Given how well spring training has gone for so many players in the Blue Jays organization, there is a lot of room for growth and opportunity. So many players can make the team out of spring training, and then end up being off the roster within months, weeks or even days, especially as injuries can occur at any time in the campaign. 

With that notion in mind, let's take a look at who may not make the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster on March 29th but will likely spend some time in the Major Leagues for Toronto at some point in 2025. 
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<h2>Leo Jimenez - INF</h2>
With the log jam known as the infield for the Blue Jays, Jimenez is a fascinating case. On one hand, his defence and his arm are his key strengths and would do wonders if the Jays need some help at 2B, SS or at 3B. The issue here comes with his bat. So far in 20 at bats in spring training, he has only hit .190 with an OPS of .632. Two of his four hits were doubles, so it shows the power is an upside, but Jimenez has been known as a glove-first infielder for most of his career. 

For Jimenez, the main issue is the amount of depth the team has in the infield now. With names like Bo Bichette (now healthy), Andres Gimenez, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Davis Schneider all able to occupy slots in the infield as needed, Jimenez falls down the depth chart but only slightly. 

Jimenez spent some time in the big leagues last year when Bichette hit the IL and the trade deadline saw veteran players moved out, but to start the season, the Panama product likely starts the year in triple-A. 
<h2>Joey Loperfido - OF</h2>
This might be one of the toughest calls in this article. 

Given how the outfield in Toronto is currently occupied by Daulton Varsho (who appears to potentially make the team for Opening Day), Anthony Santander, and George Springer, the outfield is crammed for the moment. Especially when you factor in other players fighting for the coveted fourth outfielder spot, including Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Steward Berroa, and Alan Roden, who is making waves this spring.  

Loperfido has not had a fantastic spring, only hitting .174 with four hits (two doubles and one triple) with two RBIs and two walks, but a lot of it was not all good fortune. He crashed into a wall hard during a spring training game against the Cardinals, and that for sure halted all the good momentum and progress he made in the offseason. He also has seven strikeouts through 23 at-bats, showing that the strikeouts are still part of his game - at least out of the gate.  

Now remember, this is just who makes the team on Opening Day. Loperfido spending a full season in the minors is just not likely as he has a tremendous skill set that the Blue Jays look to unlock as time goes on. Loperfido does have two minor league options available so he can be sent down with ease, other players that are fighting for the spot, such as Lukes, do not have any more options. 

A lot can happen in a season as we saw last year, and I have no doubt by the end of the first half of the season we will see Loperfido in the outfield for Toronto. 
<h2>Michael Stefanic - INF</h2>
This one is the epitome of a depth player making the most of his opportunity. Coming off a lackluster 90 games with the Angels over three seasons, Stefanic signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays in early December this past offseason. Now this signing may have gone under the radar, and it's hard to disagree seeing as Stefanic is a career .232 hitter with an OPS of .591. 

His spring training on the other hand is showing some good promise as he is hitting .353, a huge uptick from his numbers in the big leagues. Now granted, similar to what was mentioned about Jimenez above, there is a log jam in the middle infield for players and Stefanic might be more on the outside looking in. 

Stefanic is primarily a second and third baseman, which has him lower on the depth chart with other names mentioned in this post. In the minor leagues, Stefanic is a great hitter - in 2024 he posted a .966 OPS in 40 games last season in the Angels system. 

As we’ve seen time and time again, you need depth in case of injuries. It pays to have guys who can slot in and fill the roles as needed, barring any injuries or even struggles to some players at the major league level. 
<h2>Richard Lovelady - LHP</h2>
Speaking of minor league depth, we now come to the best name. Yes, hold the jokes, but Lovelady can again be someone who's an arm the Jays need in a pinch. 

In 2023, the team only had Tim Mayza as their designated left-handed reliever with no other alternative until the team traded for Genesis Cabrera. With Brandon Little slotting into the main left hander spot as of now, there are options for someone else to crack the roster such as Josh Walker and Ryan Yarbrough. 

With an ERA of 4.50 in six innings of work this spring, Lovelady bounced back after a few rough outings in the small sample size. However, with 108 MLB games under his belt and last year split between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays (a combined 4.46 ERA across both teams), Lovelady is for sure an arm the Jays can call on if needed, especially considering he is already with the team on a minor league contract, it can make his transition to the major much easier given how much change and flux a major league bullpen can have throughout the season. 

With Erik Swanson likely starting the season on the IL, it could open a spot for Lovelady to slot into the fold, but the veteran arm will likely start the year in the minors. 
<h2>Mason Fluharty - LHP</h2>
When asking who certain players that have a real shot of making this team out of spring training were,<a href="https://twitter.com/matthewspanyolo/status/1897354563893752028"> Keegan Matheson answered</a> my question saying two things: A catcher who is not yet on this squad to make the team for the hitters, and Mason Fluharty who would make the team for the pitching side of things. 

At 23, he has already made 56 appearences for the Bisons this past season, sporting a 3.63 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 67 innings. Fluharty is ranked 19th on the Blue Jays top prospects list, and is turning heads in spring training as so far through 5 1/3 innings of work, allowing just three hits and one run through six outings with one walk and eight strikeouts. 

 Fluharty has a very impressive sweeper-like slider that he's been using to his advantage, as well as a very effective cutter. He is one of the few young arms the team has been quietly building up, and has been making his case as a dark horse candidate of being on this team by the end of March. 

However, with a team like the Blue Jays who are trying to put together a win now approach, they may want to send Fluharty down to the minors to perfect his stuff. Like I said above with Lovelady, opportunities are far more available for relievers than they are starters. With the impressive work down last season and the strong spring he has had, expect the name of Mason Fluharty to come through the Jays organization sooner rather than later. 

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