Blue Jays: 3 players who won't be on the roster by September 1

Blue Jays: 3 players who won’t be on the roster by September 1

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 3: Manager John Schneider #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays argues with home plate umpire Charlie Ramos after being ejected from the game during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 3, 2023 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /

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Aug 8, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Santiago Espinal (5) fields a ground ball in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Blue Jays rumors: Santiago Espinal could be optioned when Bo Bichette returns

Blue Jays fans around the world were able to take a collective sigh of relief when the news came out that the structure in Bo Bichette’s knee was okay and that he would be returning shortly. The 2023 Blue Jays team rides and dies through the bat and heart of this young star shortstop. With his return likely coming in the next few days to a week, that is going to run one player out of a spot on the roster down the stretch and the decision really comes down to two infielders.

One of the options is Cavan Biggio and the other is Santiago Espinal. Both of these players play the same positions and are of the same age. Both of their seasons have been rather disappointing to this point, but only one of them will be optioned when Bichette returns. More than likely, it’ll be Santiago Espinal that receives the demotion when Bichette is activated.

Espinal is slashing a terrible line of .218/.299/.301 on the season, playing a position that isn’t of much need for Toronto. Moving him down to Triple-A makes plenty of sense for his own benefit as well. It’ll allow him to see more regular playing time and at-bats, likely boosting his confidence and performance a good bit. This kind of decision makes plenty of sense for both sides of the transaction.

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