Ottawa Baseball Fans, the Jays Are Almost Ready
For Ottawa Blue Jays fans, the countdown to Opening Day just got a little more interesting. With the regular season nearly here, the Toronto Blue Jays are still sorting out the last two spots on their final roster, and the decisions made in the coming days could have real implications for how the team performs right out of the gate.
Sportsnet's Hazel Mae and Shi Davidi, two of the most trusted voices in Canadian baseball coverage, sat down to break down the options Toronto's front office is weighing as Spring Training wraps up.
Final Roster Spots Still Up for Grabs
Heading into Opening Day, most of a Major League roster is set in stone, but those final one or two spots can say a lot about a team's priorities. Do you carry an extra arm in the bullpen? A versatile utility player who can cover multiple positions? A bat off the bench?
For the Blue Jays, those final decisions reflect the kind of team they want to be: flexible, competitive, and built for a long season. Mae and Davidi walk through the realistic candidates and what each choice would signal about Toronto's game plan for 2026.
Cease Closes Spring on a High Note
Amid the roster speculation, ace Dylan Cease gave Blue Jays fans plenty to be excited about. The right-hander turned in a dominant performance in Toronto's Spring Training finale, the kind of outing that reinforces why the Blue Jays made him a centrepiece of their rotation. A healthy, sharp Cease pitching deep into games changes everything for a pitching staff, and his spring performance has the fanbase buzzing heading into the season.
Why Ottawa Is Paying Attention
Ottawa has always had a strong baseball culture, and the Blue Jays are as close to a hometown team as the capital gets. Rogers Centre is a manageable drive down the 401, and plenty of Ottawa families make the trip each season for a game or two. The Jays' fortunes are followed closely here, whether it's at the Sens game watch party or around the water cooler on a Monday morning.
With a full season ahead, these early roster decisions set the tone. Ottawa fans know that championships aren't won in April, but they're certainly lost there, and getting the right 26 men on the field from day one matters.
Eyes on Opening Day
As the final cuts are made and the roster locks in, Blue Jays fans from Ottawa to Vancouver will be watching closely. Spring Training is over, now it's time to play ball.
Source: Sportsnet. Analysis by Hazel Mae and Shi Davidi.
