Toronto Blue Jays hopeful ahead of season opener despite tough 2024, uncertainty over star player

Ethan Lang · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 6:25 PM EDT | Last Updated: 26 minutes ago

There whitethorn be an crystal tempest successful Toronto's forecast, but wrong Rogers Centre, outpouring has returned. 

The Blue Jays were backmost successful their location stadium Wednesday for batting signifier and to speak with reporters up of their play opener against the Baltimore Orioles Thursday afternoon. 

Despite a hard 2024 where the nine finished past successful the division, coaches and players accidental they've made improvements needed to propulsion for the playoffs this season.

Manager John Schneider said his veterans and newcomers person gelled done outpouring grooming and are acceptable to compete.

"Everybody's speaking the aforesaid language," helium told reporters astatine a workout league astatine Rogers Centre.

Schneider says he's inactive finalizing his lineup for Thursday's 3 p.m. game, but he's already decided pitcher Jose Berrios volition commencement for his 2nd consecutive location opener. 

Despite finishing past successful their part with a 74-88 successful the 2024 season, Berrios says the Jays are primed to triumph this season.

"Right now, I deliberation we are successful a bully position, the mode we worked connected playing this spring," helium told reporters.

"Obviously, past year, it was a pugnacious year," helium said. "We're moving and marque adjustments time by day."

Berrios volition beryllium caught by Alejandro Kirk, who's acceptable to beryllium the Jays' starting catcher aft the departure of Danny Jansen midway done past season. Kirk has struggled astatine the sheet since his 2022 all-star season, but conscionable signed a five-year $58 cardinal (US) declaration extension.

"I consciousness very, precise excited astir the contract, but my main extremity present is conscionable to win," helium said, speaking done a translator. That's my mentality: effort to beryllium successful the playoffs each year."

Vladdy's aboriginal with Jays uncertain

But possibly the biggest communicative coming into the Jays' play is who didn't widen their contracts.

Shortstop Bo Bichette and slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who's been the look of the franchise since coming into the league successful 2019, are some successful the last twelvemonth of their contracts with the Blue Jays.

Through the 2020s, the 2 players person led a nine that has been incapable to triumph erstwhile it matters most. This season could beryllium their past accidental to beryllium they person what it takes to not lone marque the playoffs, but marque a heavy run.

Whether they resign or are traded earlier the extremity of their contracts volition beryllium a apical concern for Jays fans this year. 

General manager Ross Atkins told reporters he's inactive hopeful the team can scope a semipermanent statement with Guerrero Jr.

"Whether that, you know, happens during the play oregon via escaped agency, we'll enactment unfastened and ne'er adjacent immoderate doors," helium said. 

New faces could assistance lineup

Aside from returning stars, the Jays picked up a fewer caller large names successful the disconnected season.

Three-time Gold Glover Andres Giminez volition adhd immoderate coagulated defence astatine 2nd base, portion Anthony Santander, who deed 44 location runs past twelvemonth for the Orioles squad he'll look Thursday, volition bring immoderate much-needed powerfulness to a Blue Jays lineup that struggled to make offence successful 2024. 

On the pitching side, the Jays added three-time Cy Young Award victor Max Scherzer, though the 40-year-old is struggling with a thumb wounded and approaching the extremity of what's definite to beryllium a Hall-of-Fame career. 

The Jays volition besides person a caller person successful Jeff Hoffman aft Markham autochthonal Jordan Romano signed with Philadelphia aft missing astir of the 2024 play to injuries. Hoffman, who was primitively drafted by the Jays successful 2014, finished 2024 with a vocation champion 2.17 earned-run mean with 10 saves and 21 holds.

Thursday marks the authoritative opening time for each of Major League Baseball, though the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers technically kicked disconnected the regular play past week, playing the archetypal 2 authoritative games of the twelvemonth successful Tokyo.