DUNEDIN, Fla. — Ernie Clement feels like he’s put himself in the best possible position to succeed as he fights for a job with the Blue Jays.
The utility man worked hard in the weight room during the off-season to get his body right. He arrived at Spring Training right at the beginning of February and dove into defensive work. He’s put himself ahead of schedule with his bat and is among the team’s most impressive hitters thus far in camp.
That work and the corresponding results haven’t gone unnoticed.
“He came in with something to prove,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “And he definitely has done that.”
Clement is jockeying for a spot on the Blue Jays’ bench along with Santiago Espinal and close friends Spencer Horowitz and Davis Schneider. The way the 27-year-old views things, though, it’s not a competition, per se.
“There’s a lot of guys who can really, really play,” Clement said. “And whether they give that opportunity to me or somebody else, you really can’t go wrong because there’s some studs out here.
“It doesn’t feel like a competition,” he added. “We have so many good players that it makes the decision really difficult for the front office. But all I can do is go play. I’m not thinking of it as a competition. I leave all that sort of stuff up to the front office. I’m out there playing baseball, getting to know my teammates and trying to help them win baseball games.”
Clement joined the Blue Jays exactly one year ago after he was released by the Oakland Athletics. He excelled last season in triple-A Buffalo, where he played alongside Horowitz and Schneider. The trio joined the Blue Jays and contributed to the club down the stretch, with Clement posting an .885 OPS and one win above replacement, per Baseball Reference, over 30 games.
He entered Friday with 12 hits during Grapefruit League play trailing only Bo Bichette (15) for the team lead. Clement has homered twice and hasn’t struck out in 30 at-bats.
“More of what he did last year, really,” said John Schneider. “He’s hitting the ball hard, he’s doing damage early in counts. He’s making a ton of contact. And he’s playing good defence.
“Just looking for him to continue to do what he’s doing and you’ll probably see him bounce around — in the infield and probably get him in the outfield as camp keeps going.
“He’s done a phenomenal job.”
The push from Clement has potentially put Espinal in a tough position. An all-star in 2022, the infielder regressed last season and because he has options — unlike Clement — he could be sent down to the minors.
Espinal made the long trek to Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday as the Blue Jays visited the Minnesota Twins and put in his own impressive performance. He led off the game by smoking a double to the left-centre field gap off right-hander Bailey Ober. He also drew a walk and was later robbed of a hit by right-fielder Max Kepler’s impressive diving catch.
“By no means is it finalized,” said Schneider of a decision on the bench. “[Espinal], his track record speaks for itself with us at the major-league level and he’s been an all-star. And, I think where he is right now, he’s done everything we’ve asked, too. Playing great defence, his at-bats have been really good. Has a really good understanding of where he handles pitches.
“He’s doing everything that he can. He’s playing third, shortstop, second. It is a good little competition right there.”
GAUSMAN LIKELY TO MISS OPENING DAY
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman pitched one inning of live batting practice on Friday morning at the club’s player development complex. The next step for the right-hander will potentially include multiple innings in a spring game, according to Schneider.
Gausman has been dealing with shoulder fatigue and has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League contest. At this point, it appears unlikely the ace will be ready for the club’s season-opening series against the Tampa Bay Rays in two weeks.
“Opening day will be pretty tough right now for him,” said Schneider. “So, you just want him to be good. And if that means 30 starts as opposed to 32, or whatever it is, we’ll be happy with that.”
The Blue Jays would ideally like to have Gausman built up to around 70 pitches before considering a regular-season outing.
“He’s a veteran,” said the manager. “He was kind of building up so hopefully it stays on turn and on course. But you don’t want to hamstring yourself with a really low pitch count, as enticing as that may be.”
TIEDEMANN FOCUSED ON BIG PICTURE
The pitching line for Ricky Tiedemann wasn’t sparkling on Friday, but the Blue Jays’ top prospect isn’t too concerned.
The left-hander made his second start of the spring and his only objective was get his pitches in and continue to build toward the regular season.
“Main goal is getting more pitches in and get deeper in the game,” Tiedemann said. “Obviously, it’s a process to get ready for the season.”
Consider both those boxes checked. The 21-year-old, who dealt with a left hamstring issue last month, tossed 38 pitches over 2.1 innings in Friday’s game against the Detroit Tigers at TD Ballpark. Those numbers were improvements over the 26 pitches and 1.1 innings he tossed against the Phillies last weekend.
That he allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout on Friday didn’t matter as much.
“I think the past two years there were different goals set in mind for me to start spring training,” said Tiedemann. “Right now, it’s just honestly feel good and be ready for when the season starts. Obviously, the outcome to these games [matters], obviously you want to do well, but they’re not the be-all-end-all for the time being. You get an entire season to look forward to, so it’s just about getting ready to go and make sure you’re feeling good for the next outing.”