Orelvis enters prove-it era with a bang ... but will his bat be enough?

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- For years now, the Blue Jays have hoped and prayed that Orelvis Martinez develops into a solid defender. Nothing flashy, just solid.

There’s plenty of time for that to happen for the 23-year-old, but Martinez’s thundering bat could push the Blue Jays’ patience here. Each spring, we’re reminded that Martinez could have a big league future without even bringing a glove to the field.

In Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener, Martinez launched a 390-foot home run to the opposite field. It was the type of swing -- so smooth, yet still so explosive -- that you only see from true power hitters. Toronto has chased more power this offseason, adding Anthony Santander, but it still feels like one more bat -- one with a little upside -- would bring this whole thing together.

Martinez -- who added a ground-rule double in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Red Sox -- can be just that. Sure, it’s just as possible that he needs more time in Triple-A as his defensive development drags behind him, but when you look at the Blue Jays’ prospect pool, Martinez -- Toronto's No. 2 prospect at the end of 2024 -- represents the greatest hope if it all comes together. How would the Blue Jays approach that, then, if Martinez’s bat is ready for the big leagues but his glove isn’t? Can you really DH a 23-year-old?

“If he’s swinging the bat with authority and being a threat every single time, I think that with what else we have on the roster, there’s always room for a guy that can hit a home run,” manager John Schneider said. “The defensive part is important. That’s never going to stop, but if it gets to that, it gets to that.”

There are ways to soften this, of course. Martinez could continue his defensive development with big league coaches. You don’t have to lock away his glove completely, either. On days Toronto has a fly-ball pitcher on the mound and isn't expecting many ground balls to the left side, perhaps the club can hold its breath and roll out Martinez at third for a game. This needs to be about his bat, though, and if he’s truly rolling, you can’t have Martinez cold on the bench.

“Ideally, yes, he’s playing pretty regularly, because he is still fairly young. But again, we’re at the point where we’re putting the best guys out there every single night. If that means you’re platooning him or you’re putting him in the right spots, so be it,” Schneider said.

Schneider’s openness to this isn’t just encouraging, it’s necessary. Martinez has crushed lefties through the Minor Leagues, so at the very least, the platoon potential alone is exciting.

This is a prove-it spring for Martinez. His 80-game suspension from a positive performance-enhancing substance test a year ago will stick to him. Martinez had just made his MLB debut, and given how the rest of the season went, he would have gotten to play nearly every day at the MLB level. That was a crushing loss for Martinez and the Blue Jays, one which did Martinez zero favors with the organization.

Martinez says he “would have had a great year and an excellent season”, but he is trying to keep that in the past.

“I was responsible with my teammates, with my GM, with everybody on the team,” Martinez said through a club interpreter. “Once I found out what happened, I talked with everyone and let them know what happened. After that, everything was normal. I’ve put that behind me, and I’m going for this year.”

Schneider has already said multiple times how big a camp this will be for Martinez. You can tell by Schneider’s tone that it’s not a throwaway line. This organization expected big things from Martinez, and that suspension came as a massive disappointment.

Now, Martinez is trying to give everyone else a reason to forget about that, too. He’s following Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Santander any time he sees them with a bat in their hands, and when it’s time for fielding drills, Martinez is right there with Andrés Giménez, hoping to absorb some magic from one of the best defenders in the sport. It won’t happen overnight, but it needs to keep moving in the right direction.

There’s a big, cloudy era of Blue Jays baseball beyond this season. Having Martinez be part of that is the plan. If Martinez can help the Blue Jays with his bat alone this season, though, it’s a serious conversation they’ll need to have. For now, the glove can be optional.