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As you probably know, Anthony Santander will miss a good part of the 2026 season due to shoulder surgery.
This naturally raises the question of how active the Blue Jays, who were already looking to add a bat before the slugger's injury, will be in the market.
The question was put to Ross Atkins, the club's GM.
The boss said that the Blue Jays weren't really in the market for an outfielder. But that doesn't mean it's true, and it doesn't mean the club isn't looking for an outfielder—and another pitcher.
Blue Jays are “not significantly” involved in the OF market after the Anthony Santander injury, according to GM Ross Atkins.
Atkins says Jays are always looking for pitching.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) February 10, 2026
So what does the club's picture look like right now?
In reality, Kazuma Okamoto will continue to play third base, Addison Barger will remain the regular in right field, and George Springer will play a little in left field, but nothing more. What has changed is that Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider will get more playing time in left field.
Post-Santander injury, the Blue Jays' position player group looks like this:
C: Kirk
1B: Vlad Jr.
2B: Ernie Clement
SS: Gimenez
3B: Okamoto
LF: Lukes/Schneider
CF: Varsho
RF: Barger
DH: Springer
Bench: Straw, Heineman, Lukes/Schneider, TBD— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) February 10, 2026
With two outfielders who will normally be on the bench (in addition to a catcher), it seems like a good opportunity to bring in an infielder for depth.
That's not to say it won't happen, but keep in mind that the RJ Schrecks and Joey Loperfidos of this world will also get their chance on the heels of spring practice in Dunedin.
Ross Atkins mentions outfielder RJ Schreck as a player he's excited to see this spring, similar to Alan Roden from last year. He's also mentioned Joey Loperfido.
The #BlueJays' outfield depth group is still crowded, but it's wide open for someone to jump out from the crowd.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) February 10, 2026
We're not saying they shouldn't add another outfielder. However, now might be a good time to recalibrate the lineup a bit and bring in an infield bench player.
I know Schneider and Barger can play the infield, but defensive middle infielders (especially shortstops) are still important to me.
This content was created with the help of AI.
