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.

TORONTO -- Over the course of a full Blue Jays season, I ask a lot of people a lot of questions.

Manager John Schneider alone meets with the media close to 400 times a season when you stack Spring Training on top of his pregame and postgame sessions for all 162 games. It is surely the best part of his day, every day.

There are times to press with hard questions after hard losses, but the sky can¡¯t fall every day. There are times to keep it light, too. After a 20-1 win over the Rays in St. Petersburg in May 2023, I opened the postgame scrum at Tropicana Field by asking Schneider, in my most serious tone, what went wrong in the fifth inning when the Rays scored a run off Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos. Thankfully, he caught on before Sportsnet had to bleep out any words.

This is how I think of Spring Training as it approaches each year. What¡¯s the first question I want to ask, and to whom? Here are five to get us rolling:

To Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: What needs to change for you to sign an extension with the Blue Jays?

The money, obviously. It¡¯s always the money, but how close are Guerrero and the Blue Jays? And how realistic is it that the two sides will come together before the first full-squad workout on Feb. 18?

Even if the Blue Jays make another big splash between now and then, the Vladdy question will hang over the early days of camp. This decision represents the direction of this organization for years to come, and if they¡¯re not going to build around Vladdy, who is the next young core piece?

There¡¯s two things to know here. Guerrero is smart when it comes to the business of baseball, and he¡¯s grown up over the past couple of years, fully embracing and understanding what this moment means. He also understands legacy and the allure of representing the Blue Jays -- and yes, a country -- for his entire career. Guerrero hasn¡¯t been shy about his desire to stay in Toronto long-term. If the Blue Jays can get this done before the 2025 season begins, it would be this front office¡¯s biggest win to date and immediately reignite a fan base that wants to see its homegrown star stay right where he is.

To general manager Ross Atkins: How far apart are you with Vladdy?

If Guerrero hasn¡¯t signed, then how close is it? Toronto's front office won¡¯t say -- nor will Atkins when we speak with him early in camp -- but that¡¯s part of the game. The Blue Jays have shown, with their pursuits of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, that they were willing to spend incredible amounts of money on a deal for 10 or more years. Has that changed the dynamic with Guerrero?

To Schneider: Who¡¯s your leadoff hitter?

The rest can figure itself out easily enough, but nothing else can be decided until the Blue Jays write George Springer¡¯s name into the lineup. Will they give the veteran another crack at leading off, which he¡¯s done for most of his career? Or do they slide him down the lineup more permanently? Keep Will Wagner (No. 18 prospect) and Alan Roden (No. 12) in mind, two young players capable of reaching base at a high clip ahead of Bo Bichette, Guerrero and Anthony Santander.

To Atkins and Schneider: What does Orelvis Martinez need to do to get reps in the big leagues?

Martinez, Toronto's No. 2 prospect, could be a non-factor this season ... or he could be the breakthrough slugger who helps this lineup become a legitimate force. He¡¯s capable of raising the ceiling of this organization, but coming off a PED suspension and with little defensive value, it¡¯s a difficult puzzle to solve for the Blue Jays. You don¡¯t want to DH a 23-year-old, but if there¡¯s any way to get Martinez into the lineup crushing lefties, Schneider may need to explore it.

To Max Scherzer: Why Toronto? And what¡¯s left in the tank?

This is different than when Joey Votto, another likely future Hall of Famer, strolled into camp last March. Scherzer has reportedly agreed to a $15.5 million deal, not a Minor League tryout, and the famously intense right-hander isn¡¯t coming to the Blue Jays to kick his feet up. Hearing from Scherzer about how he¡¯s feeling physically and how his bullpens have gone recently will be a crucial moment, whether that happens early in camp or before.

If Scherzer is capable of giving the Blue Jays even 25 starts this season, that¡¯s a win for everyone involved. Does one of the best pitchers of this generation have one more season in him?