The Toronto Blue Jays are gearing up for the 2025 baseball season amid injuries and reliance on veteran pitchers, with recent reports indicating concerning trends for the team as they position themselves for the upcoming year.
Among the more entertaining ripple effects of Spring Training, Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt found himself on bat boy duties during their first game against the New York Yankees, serving as punishment for finishing last in his fantasy football league. Daulton Varsho, the league's commissioner, shared with Lindsay Dunn of CityNews Toronto, "Chris Bassitt [lost]. He will hopefully be bat boying on the first game on Saturday." This light-hearted tradition provides some comic relief amid the more serious challenges the team faces.
But it’s not all fun and games. Injuries are starting to pile up as well. Manager John Schneider confirmed on February 22, 2025, this week, "Ryan Burr had been dealing with shoulder tendinitis. He took a couple days off throwing but is back to playing catch today." Unfortunately, the news didn’t stop there, as pitcher Will Wagner was also out sick with a virus. Schneider reassured fans, saying, "There's 'a virus going around. Hopefully, he's good to go tomorrow." The news is particularly worrying considering how much fans are eager to see Wagner perform this season.
With the Blue Jays kicking off the Grapefruit League, which started on February 22, their reliance on aging players could prove to be both their strength and their downfall. The team is gearing up for the upcoming season with its starting rotation heavy on seasoned talent. The roster boasts veterans like José Berríos, 30, Kevin Gausman, 34, Chris Bassitt, 36, and even Max Scherzer, who is now 40, leading to discussions about long-term viability.
A recent analysis from Yahoo Sports emphasized the struggles facing the Blue Jays, noting, "Toronto earned an overall grade of 12-out-of-30, with young MLB hitters garnering an 8-out-of-10." While the hitters are scoring high, potential pitchers earned considerably low scores, showcasing the team’s dire need to change its approach. The youngest player reportedly slated for the rotation, Cuban swingman Yariel Rodríguez, won’t turn 28 until after the regular season starts. Bowden Francis marks their youngest mainstay at 29.
Critically, as the Blue Jays evaluate their pitching prospects, the feedback shows they are lacking depth. Despite the potentially bright stars like Jake Bloss, Ricky Tiedemann, and Trey Yesavage, the overall youth pitching assessments contributed to their ranking as the 25th best team when evaluating players aged 26 and under. With scouts observing Bloss' struggles—an unimpressive 0-4 with a 6.91 ERA at Triple-A Buffalo—his MLB aspirations may be paused.
Players like Tiedemann, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, and Adam Macko, recovering from meniscus repair surgery, add to the team's woes, leaving the Blue Jays comprehensively unlikely to get any promising minors talent inserted immediately. This could spell trouble should Bassitt and Scherzer leave for free agency after this season, along with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or shortstop Bo Bichette. Fans and analysts alike grow nervous about what their future will hold should those star players choose to leave.
John Schneider's management of injuries, along with addressing how the team can potentially rebound from these setbacks, is set against the thrilling yet perilous backdrop of their Spring Training. The bat boy antics of Bassitt can only distract so long as the front office wrestles with assembling enough pitching talent—both youthful and veteran—to keep them competitive.”