The Blue Jays Are Forming a Queue at Shortstop

The Toronto Blue Jays start this spring with some clarity at shortstop and unusual luxury in their succession plan. In the wake of Bo Bichette’s free agent departure this offseason, the Jays opted for Plan B (though really, it seemed like their plan all along) of having the sure-handed Andrés Giménez take over as the club’s everyday shortstop. Ernie Clement, who will get most of his starts at second, will also serve as the backup at short, while Davis Schneider will likely fill in for him at second base from time to time, depending on matchups.

Giménez is under guaranteed contract through 2029, with a club option for 2030 as part of the seven-year, $106.5 million deal he signed with the Guardians.

The decision to cement Giménez at shortstop works largely because of his defense. In Cleveland, he stacked three straight American League Gold Gloves at second base from 2022 through 2024 and added the 2023 AL Platinum Glove as the league’s top overall fielder. His elite run prevention metrics, like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, illustrate why he earned those accolades. His first step, angle, exchange and arm accuracy translate well to shortstop. For the front office, the expectation is that having a stronger defender at short will complement a deeper run-producing lineup.

It is challenging to directly compare Giménez and Bichette, especially when it comes to offensive output. For everyone hoping that Giménez would return to his 2022 level, his 2025 was a disappointment at the plate (.210/.285/.313). However, the Jays don’t need him to replicate Bichette’s production (.311/.357/.483 in 2025). According to FanGraphs, Bichette was worth 3.8 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in 2025, compared to Giménez, who was worth 1.0. However, he only played 101 games. In his last full season (2024) he racked up 2.8 fWAR, and he earned 3.8 the year before that. In 2026, Giménez will be responsible for converting balls in play into outs, reaching a league‑average batting line, and letting the bigger bats shoulder the run creation. The occasional explosive swing, like his home run in Game 4 of the ALCS, will be considered a bonus. 

The Jays never wavered in their support for Giménez to be the Opening Day shortstop. There were no rumours about anyone but Bichette, and those talks just never seemed to gain momentum. When the team signed Kazuma Okamoto, the infield seemed set. Okamoto will primarily play third, Giménez will stand to his left at short, and Clement will play second and float around as the infield’s connective tissue.

Whether Toronto’s strategy of having a glove-first shortstop works will be totally reliant on the rest of the lineup producing. If that doesn’t happen, a queue of middle infielders is beginning to form in the team’s minor league pipeline. These replacements are untested at the major league level but could offer more offensive upside.

Josh Kasevich is the Jays' 11th-ranked prospect, with a handful of other infielders ahead of him, but he is the oldest among that group and probably the closest to being MLB-ready. The 2022 second‑rounder out of Oregon reached Triple‑A Buffalo in 2024 and did exactly what his Oregon resume forecast: .325/.382/.433 in a 41‑game sample, for a .296/.348/.385 line across Double A and Triple A combined that year.

He has elite zone contact and low chase that he pairs with a 90th‑percentile exit velocity hovering in the 103–104 mph band. His lack of power might hold him back, as might his health. Last season, he battled back and ankle issues and struggled badly when he took the field.

The real focus for the Jays is their younger prospects.

Arjun Nimmala is embracing the spotlight. A first‑round pick in 2023 out of Florida’s Strawberry Crest, the 19-year-old spent last season at High‑A Vancouver. His .224/.313/.381 line with 13 home runs and 17 steals across 120 games might not seem overly impressive, until you figure in that he was consistently one of the youngest players on the field.

Independent scouting grades him in the 55 range for power, field, and arm, with quick‑twitch bat speed and a knack for pulling the ball in the air when sequencing and approach cooperate.

Although he is Toronto’s third-ranked prospect, most estimates suggest he won’t be ready for prime time until 2028 at the earliest. Nimmala arrived early to camp this spring, roughly 15 pounds heavier after losing weight over the grind of 120 games last year. He has been attached to Giménez during infield reps. That connection has resulted in Nimmala following Giménez’s example of using a smaller, pre-game glove to sharpen pocket awareness and transfers. That small learning is exactly the kind of detail that helps a teenage shortstop’s defense take the next step while the bat matures and makes the “upper minors by mid‑summer” path a real possibility.

Regardless of the level Nimmala starts at this year, if his chase rate stabilizes and he builds upon his exit velocity, he’ll be pushed into Double A and even Triple A by late in the season. A late 2027 debut with the Jays would be a successful outcome for a player who was one of the youngest first‑rounders in his class and has retained true shortstop traits throughout.

JoJo Parker, selected eighth overall in 2025, is the second pillar and the complement to Nimmala, especially if Nimmala doesn’t meet expectations. Parker is the left‑handed hit‑tool archetype: a 60‑grade bat with strike zone control, 55 power that should grow into 20–25 homers, and enough arm for the left side. The Jays definitely feel he could play an important role in the future. They signed him for $6.19 million and began the transition plan that mirrors their prior work with top shortstop prospects. The open question with Parker is not the bat, but whether the better long‑term defensive fit is second or third base. That open question does not diminish the probability he becomes an everyday player; it simply frames the infield chess Toronto can play if the bat is as advertised.

The other name that matters, and might matter quickly, is Leo Jiménez. Once a top‑10 prospect in the system, Jiménez debuted in 2024 and showed the outline of a bench piece. Across 63 games, his line was .229/.329/.358. The structural reason he’s in this conversation is roster status, as he is out of options. He’ll either be on the Opening Day roster, traded, or potentially lost on waivers. At this point, he is basically a short‑term defensive safety net at shortstop, allowing the Jays to absorb an injury or two without pulling Kasevich or asking Parker or Nimmala to cut the developmental line. He won’t raise the position’s offensive ceiling, but he can keep the floor where Toronto needs it in a 26‑man roster world.

The beauty of where the Blue Jays find themselves is that they don’t have to choose between present and future. They can win the run‑prevention battle at shortstop in 2026 and build a deeper run‑creation mix in the years that come. The plan holds up even when you stress‑test it. If Giménez’s defense remains elite and the bat sags, the most likely outcome is that Toronto simply stays the course, relying upon others offensively to carry that load. If the club loses Giménez to injury, Clement or Jiménez can handle the workload, and Kasevich or the newly-claimed Ben Cowles becomes the next man up if it stretches longer than expected.

Only a full-season, underperformance scenario would necessitate a larger structural change, such as sliding Giménez back to second while Clement, Kasevich or Cowles shoulder shortstop innings, or an unexpected mid‑season leap from Nimmala if he forces the issue for months in the upper minors. Shopping for a short‑term external rental at the deadline is another option in this scenario.

They say defense wins championships, but a consistent bat never hurts. In 2026, there will be plenty of eyes on Giménez and those knocking on the door.