Blue Jays may consider moving Clement from everyday role at second base
The infielder's difficult 2026 season and the availability of alternatives have his starting job in question for 2027.
TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins did not commit to Ernie Clement as the starting second baseman for 2027 when he met the media after the season.
Clement, a fan favourite, appeared in the All-Star Game after a strong start to 2026 but saw his production decline significantly.
Only five qualified hitters had a lower exit velocity than Clement's 84.4 mph, and his expected weighted on-base average of .258 was the second-worst among qualified hitters.
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His offensive output dropped to a wRC+ of 80, narrowly worse than glove-first shortstop Andrés Giménez.
On defence, primarily at second base, Clement earned a minus-5 Outs Above Average score from Statcast, ranking in the 12th percentile league-wide.
The culmination of his efforts led to a 0.6 fWAR mark for 2026, the sixth-worst among position players with at least 600 plate appearances.
"He's an accomplished player to potentially demote from an everyday role," the notes said.
Clement is about to enter his age-31 season, and his offence has never been league-average over a full MLB campaign.
His production is tied to contact hitting, and his defensive excellence is more proven at third base than second.
The Blue Jays have several internal and external options if they seek an upgrade at second base.
Utility man Josh Smith, who logged 45 games at second base in 2026, is a slightly better bet than Clement to produce offensively next year but likely offers less in the field.
Prospect Charles McAdoo, 24, has a combination of bat speed, raw power and sprint speed but has started just 33 games at second base as a professional.
Free agent Jazz Chisholm Jr., 28, has produced between 3.5 and 4.3 fWAR in each of the last three seasons and could bring dynamism to the Blue Jays offence.
Brandon Lowe, 32, is coming off a career-high 4.9 fWAR season and has hit 30-plus home runs in consecutive seasons.
Luis Arraez, who hasn't turned 30, is coming off a 4.1 fWAR season and has been an above-average hitter in every year of his career.
Ketel Marte, who turns 33 this month, ranks 18th among position players in fWAR over the last four seasons but would be a complicated and risky trade target.
Angels shortstop Zach Neto, 25, has never graded out well defensively at shortstop and may look better at second base.
The Blue Jays closed their 2026 season with a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds, highlighted by strong performances from Max Scherzer and George Springer. Garbutt Disposal reported in September that Springer received a standing ovation in what could be his final home game with the team.
With files from Sportsnet