Brett Bateman’s breakout undoubtedly left an interesting impression for the Blue Jays’ near future, especially as they face a winter in which they will have to make many decisions about their roster.

Bateman’s contact ability seems legitimate and, at least for the time he played in 41 games, his expected stats looked good in those first 181 plate appearances of his career, with an elite xBA (.268) that was combined with a low whiff rate (14.4%).

That sounds great for a start like the one Bateman had, while the team played several games under pressure in its attempt to reach the postseason. But what really gives the conversation a twist was the defensive potential Bateman showed, combined with his baserunning.

Among center fielders who made at least 100 throws in 2026, Bateman averaged 93.6 mph, the eighth-best mark in MLB, and made the third-fastest throw, at 101.4 mph.

Likewise, he stood out with +4 Fielding Run Value and +4 OAA in the 348 innings he played, 288 of them as a center fielder and 59 as a right fielder.

As a baserunner, Bateman finished in the 87th percentile in Sprint Speed, a key point if he can sustain a large part of his .402 on-base percentage over the long term.

That said, the Jays will have to decide whether to exercise the $8 million club option (with a $1.75 million buyout) they have on Myles Straw, who was also an elite baserunner and showed his usefulness in the outfield, or whether they decide to move forward with Bateman and an option that could arrive through free agency.

3 Valuable Options Toronto Should Analyze for Center Field

#3: Tyrone Taylor, CF/LF/RF

2026 Teams: New York Mets, Chicago Cubs | fWAR: 1.5 | Age: 33

Taylor could be an affordable option and would be worth analyzing, as he has stood out throughout his career for his ability to contribute defensively in the outfield.

However, in 2026 his offense took an interesting leap, producing a 128 OPS+, the best of his career in seasons with at least 200 plate appearances.

Taylor hit 11 home runs and drove in 38 runs in 241 plate appearances, surpassing the nine home runs he hit in 686 plate appearances between 2024 and 2025 with the New York Mets.

Part of his major changes in his offensive approach was driven by his tendency to pull pitches, raising his Pull-AIR rate to 27.7%, the highest mark of his career. He was also especially productive against fastballs, hitting eight of his home runs, with a .277 average and a .555 slugging percentage.

Overall, Taylor recorded a positive Run Value against nine of the ten pitch types he faced in 2026; he only fell below average against curveballs, with -2, although in just 13 plate appearances.

During the 30 games he played after moving from the Mets to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, he did his job, contributed his defensive potential with an elite arm and finished with a .351/.390/.500 line in 82 plate appearances.

His ability to provide defensive depth is the main added value he could bring to the Jays, but, in addition, his bat has been lethal against left-handed pitchers, and that is another attribute that played a role in his arrival in Chicago.

Taylor destroyed lefties with a .318/.348/.573 batting line, six home runs, 19 RBIs and a .921 OPS in 118 plate appearances.

#2: Lane Thomas, CF/RF/LF

2026 Teams: Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves | fWAR: 0.7 | Age: 31

Of the three options you will find here, Thomas presents an interesting profile because, like Taylor, he has played all three outfield positions, is the best baserunner, also possesses elite arm strength and has a solid profile against left-handed pitchers.

The way I see Thomas being most useful in Toronto would be with a combined role as a corner outfielder, with frequent appearances in center field.

Now, one point we should not overlook is his regression in 2026, finishing with -3 FRV and -6 Range, after regularly playing center field for 459 of his 733 total innings.

Thomas has recorded -9 FRV as a center fielder over his last two campaigns, but during his time in Atlanta in the second half of the season he managed to finish with 0 OAA, recovering a little from a negative start with Kansas City.

As I said before, he has been a consistent hitter against left-handed pitchers, with a 132 wRC+ in his career and an .848 OPS, well above his numbers against righties, against whom he has recorded just an 83 wRC+ and a .664 OPS.

#1: Trent Grisham, CF

2026 Teams: New York Yankees | fWAR: 0.7 | Age: 30

We may still remember Grisham’s final at-bats in the postseason against the Tampa Bay Rays’ pitchers, with an 0-for-5 record in Game 2 and three strikeouts, two of them without even swinging. I know Grisham’s style often seems to show him as a player who doesn’t try hard enough, but if he returns to his 2025 level, he could be a very valuable option for a team like the Jays.

However, right now Grisham seems far from recovering his best version, as he is coming off a season in which he finished with 18 home runs, a 98 wRC+ and just 0.7 fWAR, after hitting 36 home runs in 2025 and producing a 128 wRC+, setting personal records in his eight career seasons.

Another of his biggest attributes, plate discipline, also regressed, with his on-base percentage plummeting from .348 in 2025 to just .308.

Overall, Grisham finished in the 13th percentile in baserunning and the 19th in fielding, which will undoubtedly reduce his impact on the free-agent market.

That said, if we focus on the role Grisham could play in Toronto, his contribution would be very different from Taylor’s and Thomas’, but he could be the full-time center fielder and, if he finds his best offensive version, there is no doubt that he should be a strong candidate to lead off in the lineup.

Can you imagine what it would be like to see Grisham leading off for the Jays against the Yankees? Yes, definitely, I think it would be fun to watch.