Despite abrupt end to season, Wagner makes strong first impression

This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- You couldn’t call it good news at the time, but “better now than later” fits.

Will Wagner had his left knee scoped on Sept. 19 after meeting with specialists in Cleveland, and while the procedure will come with some rehab time, the Blue Jays expect him to be ready for Spring Training next February without any issues.

It’s been a nagging issue for Wagner (Toronto's No. 19 prospect) stretching back to before he was acquired by the Blue Jays, and while he’s been able to play through it, it’s nothing a player wants to live with.

“I think he’s probably a little bit relieved that he’s getting this taken care of now,” John Schneider said soon after the news was shared. “It’s also about him understanding from us and the organization how he’s viewed, the way he played and what we’re looking for from him heading into the offseason and next year. He’s shown really well. He’s a guy we’re confident in, and rightfully so.”

Really, this shouldn’t change a thing about how the Blue Jays view Wagner going into 2025. Schneider says Wagner will take about a month “off his feet” and away from any strenuous activities, but that should leave plenty of time to ramp back up for camp -- and ideally, his knee will be in better shape by spring than it has been this season. Schneider made a point to say that there was no structural damage to ligaments or anything more worrying.

When the Blue Jays dealt Yusei Kikuchi to the Astros -- which has worked out beautifully for all involved -- it looked like right-hander Jake Bloss (Toronto's No. 3 prospect) and outfielder Joey Loperfido were the headliners. Wagner has changed that conversation in a hurry. Since joining the Blue Jays, he’s hit .305 with two home runs and a .788 OPS. Another son of a former big leaguer (seven-time All-Star reliever Billy Wagner), life in the Majors seems to come easily to Wagner, but his manager sees the potential for even more.

“I think there’s more power in there,” Schneider said. “I think his knee was playing a bit of a part in the lack of it, but he’s always hit the ball hard. Everything that we were expecting, we saw it here in real time. I think there’s a lot of room to get better from a power aspect and probably on defense, too.”

Second base is such a crowded, tangled position for Toronto. Half the roster can play second, but eventually, this entire puzzle would get easier to solve if there was a regular starter … or even two players locked into a platoon.

Schneider wants to leave as many doors open as possible, but it’s clear that Wagner has impressed him enough to get a shot at playing second base on a near full-time basis.

“He can play first and we dabbled at third with him in Buffalo, but we like what we see at second,” Schneider said. “We think he’s got a really good game for that spot. There’s a fine line between the versatility aspect, which we do value, and keeping a guy regular at a certain spot. I can see him getting a lot of reps at second.”

Otherwise, the Blue Jays have Leo Jiménez, Davis Schneider and Spencer Horwitz at second base, likely in that order, with Ernie Clement spending most of his time on the left side of the diamond. The likeliest outcome here still feels like a trade where Toronto could move some of its young infield depth for pitching in the offseason, but a little excess here is a good problem to have for the time being.

Wagner represents the rock-steady option, solid across the board. If the Blue Jays really want to chase offensive upside next season, Wagner could also fit well with No. 2 prospect Orelvis Martinez in a platoon, leaving Wagner to face righties and take the majority of at-bats while Martinez crushes lefties. That’s getting a little far down the road, though, especially after Martinez missed half the 2024 season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Regardless of how this all shakes out, though, it feels like the answer will include Wagner. This isn’t the conversation many expected to be having when the Blue Jays acquired Wagner, but that’s a credit to how strong of a first impression he made. Come February, with the cranky knee behind him, Wagner could have a chance to take a job and run with it.