Blue Jays 40-man Roster Review: Ernie Clement became the team’s go-to utility player in 2024

One of the biggest surprises in 2024 for the Toronto Blue Jays was Ernie Clement.

This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual 40-man Roster Review, where we look at the players on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster. We’ll look at how the player performed in 2024, his season projections for the 2025 season, and any storylines heading into this coming season. In this article, we’ll look at Ernie Clement.

The Blue Jays signed Ernie Clement as a minor-league free agent before the 2023 season. As a professional, he had hit just 11 home runs in 1,652 plate appearances before signing with the Jays, before surpassing that mark with 12 home runs in just 372 plate appearances last season, most of which came with Buffalo. Towards the end of the season, Clement had a cup of coffee with the Jays where he hit a home run in 52 plate appearances.

Clement’s role expanded in 2024, becoming the Blue Jays’ defacto utility player, before becoming their third baseman after Bo Bichette went down with an injury. Overall, Clement slashed .263/.284/.408, matching his career-best 12 home run mark in 452 plate appearances for a 94 wRC+ and a 2.2 fWAR.

While being slightly below average with the bat, at least according to wRC+, Clement provided a ton of value defensively around the field. The 28-year-old was nominated for the American League Gold Glove at third base, and for good reason, as he finished with 9 Defensive Runs Saved and 3 Outs Above Average in 661 innings at the hot corner. In 314 innings at shortstop, he had 6 DRS and 4 OAA.

Fangraphs’ Steamer doesn’t take into account defence, but it predicts he’ll have a solid offensive season in 2025, slashing .269/.308/.407 with eight home runs in 358 plate appearances for a 103 wRC+ and a 1.5 fWAR. On the other hand, FDGC is a little bit more generous to Clement, giving him the same slash line and wRC+, but nine home runs in 385 plate appearances for a 1.6 fWAR.

The big storyline surrounding Clement is that the hot corner is anyone’s for the taking. There’ll be some stiff competition for the position though, as Orelvis Martínez and Addison Barger are both looking to become Major League Baseball regulars next season. And who knows, maybe the Jays will play Will Wagner there to keep his bat in the lineup.

However, Clement should have the inside edge as he no longer has option years remaining and the Blue Jays would surely lose him through waivers if they designated him for assignment.