Toronto Blue Jays DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Toronto Blue Jays and All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have a salary arbitration case set for Tuesday, and it's believed there have been no negotiations since the Jan. 11 filing deadline, when the team offered $18.05 million and Guerrero asked for $19.9 million. Toronto has been a "file-and-trial" team, meaning they'll only do a multi-year deal outside of a hearing room. Guerrero is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season, so even a two-year deal that only covers 2024 and his final year of arbitration-eligibility next year would be difficult to complete by Tuesday. A $1.85 million gap between offer and ask suggests the two sides struggled to find common ground, which could make things even more contentious after the hearing on Tuesday.

Teams have asked the Toronto Blue Jays about right-hander Alek Manoah's availability via trade, but sources say that the Blue Jays are telling clubs they have no plans to move him. Manoah has had a very good offseason of workouts and is fully expected to be in the team's starting rotation to begin the year after struggling and being demoted to the minors twice in 2023. The 26-year-old was also dealing with some arm issues last season, which hopefully explains most of his problems just a year removed from an All-Star campaign. The former first-rounder will come at a discount in fantasy drafts this spring, and managers that take a shot on Manoah will be hoping he can return to his dominant form in 2022, when he had a 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a career-high 180 strikeouts in 31 starts.

The Toronto Blue Jays outrighted catcher Brian Serven to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday after he cleared waivers. Serven, a former fifth-round pick by the Colorado Rockies out of Arizona State, played in only 11 games with the Rockies in 2023, going 3-for-23 (.130) with a double and an RBI. The Blue Jays claimed him off waivers from Colorado earlier this month, but he will stay with Toronto for now. The 28-year-old backstop played in 62 games in his rookie season in 2022 with the Rockies and went 38-for-187 (.203) with six home runs and 16 RBI in 205 plate appearances. Serven will begin the 2024 campaign with Buffalo and will provide catching depth behind Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk at the major-league level.

While Toronto Blue Jays first base prospect Spencer Horwitz lacks high-end power and could be limited to first base in the big leagues, but his on-base ability is rare and is something that should translate well to the majors after he had a .450 on-base percentage at Triple-A Buffalo in 2023. He has also beat up on right-handed pitching as a left-handed hitter and showed more power in those matchups, which could make him a platoon puzzle piece for the Blue Jays sooner than later. Toronto thinks that Horwitz could become a regular contributor, but that's not going to come with regular at-bats in 2024, and how the team addresses the designated hitter spot will have a direct impact on Horwitz. The 26-year-old has an intriguing bat, but he's unlikely to see much playing time given Toronto's stacked roster.

Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Bowden Francis, who came to Toronto in 2021 alongside Trevor Richards in the Rowdy Tellez trade, held his own in 2023 and posted a 1.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts and just eight walks in 36 1/3 innings in his first taste of the big leagues. His curveball is a legitimate plus pitch. Francis has earned a shot at starting again and could compete for the No. 5 starting-rotation spot in spring training. A trip to Triple-A Buffalo to begin the 2024 is most likely, but he'd be the next man up for the big-league rotation in that scenario. He could open the year as Toronto's bullpen swingman as well, which is a role he's grown comfortable with. Either way, Francis is going to pitch meaningful innings for the Jays in 2024