Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Drew Hutchison throws against the Baltimore Orioles during first inning AL baseball game action in Toronto Wednesday August 6, 2014.Fred Thornhill/The Canadian Press
The Toronto Blue Jays will be relying heavily on a youth movement to get the job done in 2015.
On Tuesday at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., the Blue Jays formally announced the primary makeup of the 25-man roster that will head north for next week's start of the regular season. As anticipated, the Blue Jays will begin the season with two rookies in the starting lineup and two more in the starting rotation. Toronto manager John Gibbons confirmed that Mississauga native Dalton Pompey, 22, has earned the starting job in centre field, while Devon Travis, 24, an off-season acquisition from the Detroit Tigers who has never played above the Double-A level, will be at second base.
Right-hander Drew Hutchison, 24, will get the opening-day start in New York on Monday when the Blue Jays face the Yankees in the first of a three-game series.
"It's really exciting; opening day is special," Hutchison said Tuesday about what will be his first opening-day start. "At the end of the day, it's a long game. But as we all know, it's opening day, the excitement, the energy – everything that goes into it is exciting."
The Blue Jays are looking to get to the playoffs for the first time since 1993, when they last won the World Series. It's the longest postseason drought among the 30 teams in the league.
Hutchison will be heading up a five-man rotation that includes rookies Aaron Sanchez, 22, and Daniel Norris, 21. Veterans R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle are the other two starters in the group.
Although Toronto manager John Gibbons has not yet tipped his hand on the order of his rotation, starting Hutchison against the Yankees will mean that he will also get his second start in Baltimore against the Orioles in the Blue Jays' second series of the season.
Hutchison, with a 3-4 career mark against the Yankees, has been impressive against the Orioles, last year going 3-1 against Baltimore with a 2.54 earned run average.
For Game 2 in New York, the Blue Jays are expected to go with Dickey, with Norris starting in Game 3.
That would allow Buehrle to miss having to pitch against the Yankees, who have been his nemesis over the years; they've racked up 14 wins against just one loss versus the Toronto lefty over his lengthy career.
Kevin Pillar made the team and will be the starter in left field, at least until Michael Saunders has recovered from a knee injury suffered during spring training. Saunders is expected to be able to rejoin the team later in April.
Russell Martin, the team's big free-agent off-season signing, will be the everyday catcher even when knuckleballer Dickey is on the mound. Dioner Navarro will back up at catcher and also serve as Toronto's main designated hitter. Josh Thole, who has been Dickey's personal catcher for most of the past two seasons, was optioned to the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo.
Fan favourite infielder Munenori Kawasaki has also been sent to the minor leagues to begin the season, along with infielder Jonathan Diaz and relief hopeful Jeff Francis. Outfielder Dayan Viciedo has been granted his unconditional release.
It was already a given that slugger Jose Bautista would take up his regular role in right field, while newcomer Josh Donaldson, obtained in an off-season trade with the Oakland A's in exchange for Brett Lawrie, will be at third.
Jose Reyes will be the everyday shortstop, and Edwin Encarnacion will play at first base, backed up by newcomer Justin Smoak. Both Encarnacion and Smoak are expected to also see time as the team's DH.
The Blue Jays also said that Steve Tolleson and Danny Valencia made the team in utility roles.
The American League outfit has still to determine the exact composition of its bullpen and is tinkering with the idea of carrying eight relievers instead of the usual seven. Veteran Brett Cecil, who will be the team's closer, has sewn up one spot along with fellow lefty Aaron Loup.
Rookies Roberto Osuna and Miguel Castro are still contending for bullpen positions, as are Todd Redmond and Liam Hendriks. Still on the bubble to make the roster is utility infielder Ryan Goins, whose fate will be determined if the Blue Jays decide to go with a seven- or an eight-man bullpen to begin the season.
The Blue Jays also announced that new league commissioner Rob Manfred will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at their home-opener in Toronto April 13 against the Tampa Bay Rays.