What's still in play? More than you may think

Prospects pushing for jobs will set the table for defining off-season

- GREGOR CHISHOLM

Will Wagner, acquired in the Yusei Kikuchi trade, has played his way into the mix at second base.

The Blue Jays might not have anything left to play for this season, but individually there is still a lot riding on the final month.

As contending teams gear up to make their final push for the postseason, the Jays are auditioning some of their top prospects and the results will have major implications on this upcoming off-season.

The Jays are in the process of determining which of next year’s starting jobs will be filled internally and which ones should be opened up to free agency and trades. The shorter the shopping list, the more money a team with an estimated competitive balance tax payroll of $138 million (U.S.) — plus another $45 million to $55 million in salary arbitration — will have available to spend on each item.

Here’s a closer look at which spots are up for grabs, the leading candidates at each position and what the Jays have learned about them since last month’s trade deadline:

Left field

Joey Loperfido’s opening stretch with the Jays is one he would like to forget. The 25-year-old outfielder, acquired from the Houston Astros as part of the deal for Yusei Kikuchi, registered just five hits across his first 10 games. Loperfido then made an adjustment to his leg kick to create a more stable front load and responded by hitting .302 with seven extra-base hits over his next 13.