É«É«À²

The Jays are in the process of determining which of next year’s starting jobs will be filled internally and which ones should be opened up to free agency and trades. The shorter the shopping list, the more money a team with an estimated competitive balance tax payroll of $138 million (U.S.) — plus another $45 million to $55 million in salary arbitration — will have available to spend on each item.

Here’s a closer look at which spots are up for grabs, the leading candidates at each position and what the Jays have learned about them since last month’s trade deadline:

Left field

Joey Loperfido‘s opening stretch with the Jays is one he would like to forget. The 25-year-old outfielder,  acquired from the Houston Astros as part of the deal for Yusei Kikuchi, registered just five hits across his first 10 games. Loperfido then made an adjustment to his leg kick to create a more stable front load and responded by hitting .302 with seven extra-base hits over his next 13.

The tools are there; the 2021 seventh-round draft pick just has to put them together. Loperfido handles himself well with the glove and if he finishes the year strong, there’s every reason to believe he’ll remain the starter in left.

Early verdict: The Jays stick with Loperfido in left, with prospects Jonatan Clase and Alan Roden as insurance in the minors. Davis Schneider’s struggles should leave the Jays looking for a right-handed reserve.

Second base

If the Jays are willing to sacrifice a bit of defence, they won’t have to waste any time searching for a second baseman because Spencer Horwitz or Will Wagner should be up for the job. Horwitz has recovered from a down July to post an .810 on-base plus slugging percentage with nine extra-base hits in August entering Wednesday. Wagner’s pace has slowed since a blistering start, but he’s still performing well with a .304 average (14-for-46) and appears to possess a big-league bat.

Between the two, the Jays should be able to find a solid contributor next season while Leo Jimenez and Ernie Clement offer depth. The sample sizes are small, but the Jays have enough options to be covered off, which would allow the front office to focus on other areas.

Early verdict: Horwitz and Wagner will compete for the starting job next spring, with Clement as the logical choice at utility infielder.

Fifth starter

One of the biggest late-season developments  has been the emergence of Bowden Francis. The 28-year-old right-hander has surrendered three runs or fewer in each of his five starts since being recalled and came within three outs of tossing a no-hitter. If he keeps pitching like that over the final month, he’ll enter camp as the No. 4 or No. 5 starter.

Still, it’s worth noting that two of those starts came against the light-hitting Los Angeles Angels and another was against the perfectly average Chicago Cubs. Francis hasn’t locked up anything quite yet, but if he performs well down the stretch it could save the Jays upwards of $15 million next season.

Early verdict:  Francis is well positioned to stake a claim on a starting job, but a lot could change between now and the end of the year. If he struggles, he would open next year in long relief or join prospect Jake Bloss as starting depth in the minors.

Third base

Clement has been a surprising contributor and deserves praise, but he’s not enough of a slugger to stick at third base long term. While Addison Barger has flashed potential with seven doubles — including one in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to the Red Sox — and five homers over his last 22 games, he has only started 15 games at third and likely won’t be considered for the full-time job next spring.

Early verdict: Unless the Jays intend on moving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to third base, they’ll have to find someone external to fill the position. Alex Bregman will be the top third baseman available via free agency, while former Jay Matt Chapman is also expected to hit the open market.

What’s left?

It makes sense to bet on Horwitz or Wagner, but committing every day at-bats to both seems risky for a wannabe contender. While either one could be used at second, the Jays should add another big bat at designated hitter. Some of the top free-agent options include Teoscar Hernández, Tyler O’Neill, Anthony Santander and Rhys Hoskins.

The Jays also need to remake a bullpen where Jordan Romano, Chad Green, Génesis Cabrera and possibly Erik Swanson have the only guaranteed jobs. That would leave backup catcher and either third base or first (depending on where Guerrero plays) as the other spots that need to be filled.