The Toronto Blue Jays spent all winter, and $337 million, filling holes on the roster. For the reigning American League champions, there are few remaining needs or points of major concern.

If the Jays make it through spring healthy, the final days of camp could be particularly boring, without many roster battles. But as Toronto’s pitchers and catchers report to spring training Wednesday, some burning questions still need answering. They may determine just how good the Blue Jays will be this year.

How will the back of the rotation shake out?

Shane Bieber is among the seven starters competing for five rotation spots. Will he be healthy enough to stay in the mix? (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)

There are two certainties at the top of Toronto’s rotation (barring injury) — Kevin Gausman and freshly signed Dylan Cease. After that, the Jays have intrigue. Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber, José Berríos and Eric Lauer enter camp fighting for just three spots. While Berríos and Lauer appear to be the odd men out, each of those options comes with a question or concern attached.

Is Yesavage ready for another workload increase after the longest season and shortest winter of his baseball life? Will Ponce’s KBO greatness translate back to the big leagues? How healthy is Bieber after suffering from forearm soreness at the end of the postseason and return from Tommy John? How will Berríos look after his 2025 scuffles, late-season arm injury and departure from the team ahead of the World Series? Can Lauer start in the bullpen and remain stretched out enough to start when needed?

Seven starters for five rotation slots is a great problem to have. Injuries in spring could easily solve the issue. If Bieber needs to slow-play spring and isn’t ready for Opening Day, this starting group looks a lot less busy. That depth is part of why FanGraphs projects Toronto’s staff to be the seventh-most valuable in MLB entering spring. But this remains Toronto’s most intriguing position group, and if ailments or performance don’t sort out the surplus, the Jays will face tough conversations or trade talks.

How does Kazuma Okamoto adjust?

Kazuma Okamoto, signed for $60 million and four years in early January, enters spring as a largely unknown commodity and Toronto’s only major offensive addition.

If Okamoto plays to his projections — 25 home runs and 2.9 WAR — he should be one of the club’s most valuable hitters. But the hit rate on players coming over from NPB can be sporadic. Seiya Suzuki (2022) and Masataka Yoshida (2023) were instantly above-average hitters. Shogo Akiyama (2020) and Yoshi Tsutsugo (2020) scuffled before returning to Japan. Both Tsutsugo and Akiyama signed for far less than the $60 million guaranteed to Okamoto, though. The Jays clearly view him as closer to Suzuki and Yoshida.

Okamoto flashed an ability to adjust throughout his Japanese career with the Yomiuri Giants. He’s been a 30-homer slugger with a 20 percent strikeout rate at times. In recent years, he nearly halved his strikeout rate by increasing contact. On top of Okamoto’s ability to pull high-velocity fastballs, the Jays figure that adaptability will help him quickly adjust to big-league pitching.

But the biggest concerns come on defence. Some scouts view Okamoto as better suited for first base, but unless Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is about to make a dramatic return to third, the Jays will need Okamoto at the hot corner.

Spring games don’t mean much for a clear contender like the Jays, but Okamoto’s first swings and groundballs faced will be much more important than most.

Can Anthony Santander bounce back?

George Springer entered last spring in desperate need of a rebound. He was seemingly caught in a mid-30s decline and with two pricy years left on his contract. The situation appeared dire. Then, like GameStop in 2020, Springer’s stock became an unforeseen rocketship. He put together the best offensive season of his career in 2025 and earned seventh place in American League MVP voting.

If you’re searching for market value this spring, now’s the chance to buy low on Anthony Santander.

The first season of Santander’s five-year, $92.5 million deal with heavy deferrals was an unmitigated disaster. He played in just 54 games, hitting .175 and posting negative WAR. The 31-year-old suffered a shoulder injury early in the year that held him out far longer than expected, returned down the stretch and then was taken off the Jays’ ALCS roster with a back injury.

Not every bounce-back candidate can pull off what Springer did in 2025, though. There’s even a question of whether Springer can repeat his brilliance in 2026, or anything close to it. But it’s especially difficult for low-contact bats like Santander, heavily reliant on power, to age gracefully. If Santander can make it through camp healthy and avoid his usual early-season slump, the switch-hitting slugger could be the sort of middle-of-the-order run producer the Jays will need after the loss of Bo Bichette. If not, the Jays may be saddled with a contractual anchor.

Key Blue Jays spring training dates

Pitchers and catchers report: Feb. 11
First full squad workout: Feb. 16
First spring game: Feb. 21 (vs. Philadelphia)
World Baseball Classic begins: March 5
Final spring game: March 22 (vs. Tampa Bay)
Opening Day: March 27