Opinion | The Blue Jays have plenty of options to fill the Marcus Semien-sized hole in their infield

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins crossed off two big-ticket items from his to-do list before the Dec. 2 lockout, but one top priority that still needs to be taken care of is finding a replacement for Marcus Semien.

The off-season moved at a frenetic pace prior to the shutdown, and so did the Jays. The resources were there for a team that just missed the postseason with a pair of $100-plus million deals and even more will be required for the Jays to complete their business once a new collective bargaining agreement is signed and the roster freeze is lifted.

While the Jays will eventually resume their search for a back-end starter, and possibly another arm for the bullpen, the biggest need can be found in the infield, where the front office has the unenviable task of replacing a top-three MVP candidate.

The expectation entering this off-season was that the Jays would have at least enough flexibility to make a pair of significant long-term commitments. Kevin Gausman was one and the other was Jose Berrios, now guaranteed at least $131 million (U.S.) over the next seven seasons. Despite that aggressive shopping, the Jays might not be done with their premium purchases quite yet.

The rumours that surfaced just prior to the lockout seemed to indicate the Jays are far from being done. There were reports of interest in Freddie Freeman and a failed pursuit of star infielder Corey Seager. They continued to be linked to Kris Bryant and there were rumblings about Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki and presumed interest in lefty Carlos Rodon.

Some of those reports seemed genuine, others likely amounted to little more than due diligence. The Jays front office doesn’t like to leave any stone unturned and their tendency to explore every possible scenario often gets leaked to the media by agents, even the ones representing clients that don’t seem like very realistic targets.

Freeman and Seager were particularly far-fetched. Freeman would have required a platoon at first base and designated hitter with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., or moving the Jays’ MVP back to third. Either solution might work for a year or two but seems less feasible over a long-term deal. Seager, who signed with the Rangers for $325 million, was the perfect fit on paper, just one long presumed to be out of reach financially.

Bryant makes sense with his ability to play third, but money should be an issue there too, with projections suggesting his next deal will be more than $150 million, similar to the amount the Jays declined to pay Semien. A tier down would be trying to convince Trevor Story to play third, or settling for a veteran player like Josh Harrison on a short-term deal. Each of those scenarios would likely involve Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal platooning at second.

“Obviously, the progress of Bo and Vladdy puts us in a very strong spot,” Atkins said prior to the lockout. “Adding another infielder, in a significant way, or just to complement the other infielders we have would be a good outcome. Don’t feel like we absolutely have to but would like to add an infielder into that mix.”

The trade route might end up being a better option, where the top prize would be perennial MVP candidate José Ramirez, who has two years of control remaining with the cash-strapped Cleveland Guardians. If Cleveland can be talked into making a deal, the Jays, with a deep farm system and young tradeable pieces off their big-league roster, would be as well positioned to make it happen as anyone.

Another logical fit would be working something out with the Oakland A’s, who figure to be shopping third baseman Matt Chapman along with starters Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Chris Bassitt. A bigger deal like that could net not only Semien’s replacement but fill left-hander Steven Matz’s former spot at the back end of the rotation.

Considering the options, a trade might net the higher upside player but would require mortgaging some of the future. There are stopgap solutions available in free agency, which would buy some additional time for prospect Jordan Groshans to develop, just none who figure to make the same impact as Semien. Few players do.

The Jays managed to swap Robbie Ray for Gausman but substituting premium free agents with equivalent players is never easy. That’s why Semien’s replacement can’t be viewed in a vacuum. When comparing next year’s roster to the one that began 2021, it’s not just about who’s playing second, but also who’s playing third, who’s in the starting rotation and who’s available out of the bullpen.

Unless Ramirez walks through the door before opening day, any player the Jays get to replace Semien won’t be on his level, but he doesn’t have to be. Based on the sum of their parts, there are reasons to be optimistic if the Jays can find an above-average alternative and continue to strengthen other areas of their team.

After adding Berrios at the trade deadline and signing Gausman to a long-term deal, an argument can already be made the Jays are better now than they were in spring training. In a few months, once the lockout is lifted, there will be room for even more improvement. For now, they’re an unfinished product with some pressing needs, none bigger than the infield.

There are a lot of options out there at every level of the market. When baseball opens for business again, the Jays just have to pick the right one.