The Toronto Blue Jays have finalized their Opening Day roster.
The Blue Jays were informed of the team’s final roster decisions Wednesday morning and the moves are expected to become official later this afternoon.
Alex Anthopoulous confirmed the team will start the season with an eight-man bullpen, eliminating one of the tougher final decisions for the Blue Jays, as both Brett Cecil and hard-throwing Jeremy Jeffress will open the year with the big club.
#Bluejays Opening Day Ps: Dickey, Morrow, Buehrle, Johnson, Happ, Janssen, Santos, Oliver, Delabar, Rogers, Loup, Cecil, Jeffress #Jays
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness590) March 27, 2013
Both Cecil and Jeffress were out of options coming into the 2013 season and were said to be in a position battle for the final spot in the bullpen.
Cecil can now serve as the long man and will add a left-handed arm coming out of the pen.
There were no surprises with the team’s makeup on offence as the Blue Jays will start the season with all their projected regulars except for third baseman Brett Lawrie, who will open the year on the 15-day disabled list with a strained rib.
#Bluejays Opening Day pos players: Arencibia, Blanco, Encarnacion, Bonifacio, Izturis, Reyes, DeRosa, Lind, Cabrera, Rasmus, Bautista, Davis
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness590) March 27, 2013
With Lawrie down, Mark DeRosa and Maicer Izturis will fill the void at third base – meaning Emilio Bonifacio could see the majority of time at second base.
Bonifacio has struggled a bit with his throwing accuracy at second base during the spring but provides a welcome speed element to the Blue Jays lineup.
After catcher Josh Thole was sent down earlier this week, Henry Blanco won the job as the back-up catcher. But as Shi Davidi wrote earlier in the week, Blanco and J.P. Arencibia will both catch for knuckleballer R.A. Dickey – who was originally expected to have his own personal catcher.
Arencibia will start behind the plate on Opening Day against the Cleveland Indians.
