Looking at which players the Blue Jays could drop for the ALCS roster

The Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the American League Championship Series.

When the series officially kicks off on Sunday, whether it be against the Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners, the Blue Jays will more than likely have a new-look roster heading into the series. It seems possible that Bo Bichette could be back, but Chris Bassitt and José Berríos are eligible to come off the Injured List, and Max Scherzer could find his way on the roster.

That begs a question: who on the Jays’ American League Divisional Series roster could be off the Jays’ American League Championship Series roster come Sunday? Let’s find out!

Justin Bruihl

Assuming that the Blue Jays add a pitcher, whether it be Bassitt, Berríos, or Scherzer, Justin Bruihl is the most obvious subtraction from the Jays’ roster. Bruihl was one of four left-handed pitchers in the Blue Jays’ bullpen during the ALDS, joined by Eric Lauer, Mason Fluharty, and Brendon Little. This was because the Yankees had six regular batters who swung from the left side.

As it stands, the Tigers currently have five left-handed batters as starters – Kerry Carpenter, Colt Keith, Riley Greene, Zach McKinstry, and Parker Meadows. Greene is the best of the bunch with a 121 wRC+, while McKinstry, Keith, and Carpenter range from a 109 wRC+ to a 115 wRC+. Good, but not worthy of having four different lefties in the bullpen.

The Mariners have three left-handed pitchers who are considered regulars: Josh Naylor, Dominic Cazone, and J.P. Crawford. Moreover, Cal Raleigh and Jorge Polanco are switch-hitters, but it’s worth noting Raleigh is weaker from the right side. Again, this lineup doesn’t call for four left-handed relievers in the bullpen.

All of this doesn’t even mention Bruihl’s performance in his only postseason appearance. The 28-year-old pitched in Game 2, giving up two earned runs in just a third of an inning pitched. He entered the game with a 12-0 lead, but those two runs allowed the Yankees to gain just a little bit of hope.

He’s a low-leverage reliever who wasn’t able to get outs, so if the Jays add a pitcher to the roster, he’s likely the first to come off.

Tommy Nance

Tommy Nance also pitched in that game, giving up two earned runs in a third of an inning pitched. He had a much better outing in Game 3, pitching a scoreless inning in garbage time. While his postseason debut didn’t go well, Nance found success in low-leverage situations during the regular season, posting a 1.99 ERA and 1.87 FIP in 31.2 innings pitched. Teams need low-leverage relievers to throw out there in a blowout game, and Nance is more than capable of doing that.

However, if the Jays wish to add two different pitchers, Nance is the odd man out. Say both Bassitt and Scherzer are added to the ALCS roster, it makes sense that one of them could pitch out of the bullpen to give the Jays’ length in a blowout game, making Nance’s role essentially useless.

It’s worth noting that Nance could also be removed from the roster for a position player if the Jays so wish.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

It seems entirely possible that Bichette will return come Sunday, and if that’s the case, Isiah Kiner-Falefa could be off the roster.

The utility infielder has appeared in all four Blue Jays’ games, but has yet to register a hit in his six plate appearances. Moreover, he committed an error in Game 3, one of several defensive miscues in that game, which ultimately led to the Blue Jays’ loss.

Replacing Kiner-Falefa with Bichette sacrifices defence, but gives the Jays their second-best hitter back in the lineup. If Bichette becomes their full-time designated hitter for the remainder of the postseason, the Jays don’t have to worry too much about a lack of defence on the field, as Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider, Andrés Giménez, and Addison Barger can combine to make a solid defensive infield.

Anthony Santander

But the question is, what happens to Anthony Santander if Bichette comes back and takes the designated hitter role? That opens up a whole can of worms, as the Jays can’t put both Santander and Springer in the field, especially considering that Santander’s defence is below average.

So, does it make sense to omit Santander from the ALCS roster? Absolutely not. Santander hasn’t had a particularly good postseason through 10 plate appearances, but he’s showing signs of coming around. On Wednesday, Santander saw 23 pitches over the course of three plate appearances. He’s working the count, and his larger track record suggests he isn’t an easy out, as he has a career strikeout rate of 21.1%.

This doesn’t even mention his power potential. Yes, he’s only hit six home runs this season after mashing 44 home runs in 2024. There’s some serious pinch-hit potential with Santander, at least for the remainder of the postseason.