Ernie Clement is a fan favorite in Toronto.
The Blue Jays‘ energetic second baseman has been known to walk to the ballpark for home games and engage with fans on his way to the Rogers Centre.
Clearly, he’s the type of player that the majority of the Blue Jays’ fanbase wouldn’t want to see go elsewhere — particularly after his legendary 2025 postseason, when he set an MLB record for hits in a single playoff run.
But after a 2026 season of disappointment in Toronto, the Blue Jays will be considering lots of possibilities. One of them will involve making a change at second base, where Clement wasn’t as good in 2026 as he had been in 2025.
Why Would Blue Jays Move On From Ernie Clement?
Sportsnet’s Nick Ashbourne wrote a new article on Friday in which he examines the factors that would go into the Blue Jays potentially moving on from Clement.
The discussion was started when GM Ross Atkins wouldn’t commit to Clement as next season’s starting second baseman in Toronot.
“A lack of commitment to starting Clement at second in 2027 shouldn’t necessarily be surprising given his production this season, but the infielder appeared in the All-Star Game after a strong start to 2026, was a Gold Glove finalist in both 2024 and 2025 and set the MLB post-season record for hits last year,” Ashbourne writes. “He’s an accomplished player to potentially demote from an everyday role.”
Ashbourne cites a few pieces of Clement’s 2026 season that let him down:
- “Only five qualified hitters had a lower exit velocity than Clement’s 84.4 mph, and just three had a lower hard-hit rate. His xwOBA of .258 was the second-worst among qualified hitters.”
- “On defence, Clement’s work (primarily at second base) earned a minus-5 OAA score from Statcast, putting him in the 12th percentile league-wide.”
Ashbourne then notes that Clement will be 31, is probably better suited at third base (where Kazuma Okamoto already resides), and that the Blue Jays have the rest of their infield signed to long-term contracts already.
“If Toronto hopes to significantly improve its position-player core, the outfield could use a revamp, but the second-base position is also a logical spot to explore upgrades,” Ashbourne writes.
Replacement Options
OK, so if the Blue Jays are going to replace Clement, who’s going to do it?
Ashbourne begins by pitching both Josh Smith and Charles McAdoo as internal options.
It would probably make sense for Toronto to instead go the free agent route, though.
Ashbourne names the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Pirates’ Brandon Lowe and the Phillies’ Luis Arraez.
He also wonders about trades for the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte, the Angels’ Zach Neto and the Nationals‘ C.J. Abrams.
Depending on acquisition cost of any of those players, they could certainly fit the role the Blue Jays would want them to fill.
Clement wouldn’t be gone entirely, either. He’s got two more years of club control remaining. If one of these guys was acquired, Clement would return to his super-utility role.
Why Blue Jays Would Move On From Ernie Clement