News and Notes from Ross Atkins’ media availability

The 2026 General Manager Meetings have come and gone, and it’s clear that the Toronto Blue Jays are going to be busy this month.

Serving as a de facto replacement for the Winter Meetings, which will surely be cancelled due to the impending lockout, ground work was laid for future transactions. The GM Meetings also allowed the media to speak to Ross Atkins, who gave several interesting tidbits in his press conference on Tuesday.

Let’s dig into what was said!

Who’ll play centre field?

Given how Brett Bateman played in the final two months of the 2026 season, it’s not a hot take to say that he’ll get some runway as the Blue Jays’ everyday centre fielder.  But if he falters he can’t hit like he did last season, then what? Well, Atkins noted that Nathan Lukes and even Addison Barger may be able to fill in some innings at centre field.

https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/2120302076354072952

Barger has never played centre field professionally. He came up the minor league ladder as an infielder, mainly playing shortstop and third base. In 2023, he started playing right field, a position he has done quite well in when healthy, finishing the 2025 season with nine outfield assists in just 413 innings in right field.

The third baseman/outfielder also threw out a runner, but that turned out to be one of his final actions of the 2026 season, as he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after. Centre field is generally easier on the arm than right field, but Barger may not have the range to play the position.

Lukes has a bit more experience at the position, but played just 60 innings at the position in 2026, as well as just 306 innings since making his big league debut in 2023. He played some centre field in the minor leagues as well, so it’s not a position that is new to him.

Adding a centre fielder is well down on the list of needs, but it is something to keep an eye on if the Blue Jays believe that Bateman isn’t ready for full-time duties in a year that they wish to contend.

José Berríos’ status

A big reason why the Blue Jays didn’t contend in 2026, despite winning the American League pennant in 2025, is due to injuries to starting pitchers. That included José Berríos, who was one of three of their expected starters who began the season on the injured list.