TORONTO — Mark Shapiro has been the Toronto Blue Jays President and CEO for over a decade. He’s overseen stadium renovations, five postseason runs and, last year, nearly a World Series title. Shapiro, though, says the Jays are still chasing excellence.

As the Jays continue that quest this year, here are the takeaways from Shapiro’s session with reporters on Wednesday as Opening Day approaches. The American League champions start the season at home Friday against the Athletics.

Will Toronto’s historic payrolls continue?

In 2016, Shapiro’s first full year in Toronto, the Jays ranked 13th in baseball with a payroll of around $163 million. It was a competitive team, with veteran players, coming off a run to the American League Championship Series. But the cash wasn’t fully flowing. Now, 10 years later, the Jays have reached a new stratosphere of spending.

The Jays are set to run a top-eight payroll for a fourth season in a row, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. They’re projected to spend just over $316 million this year (fifth in MLB), surpassing the highest luxury tax threshold for the franchise’s first time. It’s also the first time in franchise history that Toronto has been in the top-10 of MLB payrolls for more than three consecutive years.

When asked if that spending will continue, Shapiro pointed to recent precedent. It certainly sounded like yes.

“We do have a budget,” Shapiro said. “But we also are given, from Edward (Rogers) and Tony Staffieri, a mandate that if there’s an opportunity to make this club meaningfully better, bring it to them.”

All-Star Game hopes delayed

Shapiro has hinted at Toronto’s second MLB All-Star game for the last few seasons. Even Commissioner Rob Manfred said last year he wants the game to return to Rogers Centre for the first time since 1991. But that dream has been pushed back.

“It’s been put, frankly, on hold, due to the Olympics,” Shapiro said, referring to the 2028 LA Games. “Things just keep coming up. They keep pushing us a little further in the queue. But we have an application in.”

This year’s All-Star Game will be in Philadelphia, while the 2027 Midsummer Classic is committed to Chicago’s Wrigley Field. If MLB players do go to the Olympics in 2028, and the event replaces the All-Star Game, that likely slates 2029 as the earliest possible date for Toronto.

“We’re going to have an All-Star Game here,” Shapiro said. “It’s just a question of when.”

Blue Jays want WBC games at Rogers Centre

The Jays also want to host World Baseball Classic games in Toronto, Shapiro said. The city last hosted group-stage WBC games in 2009, while winter renovations prevented the stadium from being offered for this year’s tournament.

“I think it makes complete sense to host some round of the WBC,” Shapiro said. “We’d have interest in that. I think that would be great for this city.”

The difficulty would be Toronto’s lack of a secondary baseball stadium, where players could practice in March. It would likely be a little cold to have big leaguers out at Christie Pits in early spring. Shapiro said the WBC would likely have to schedule games so teams could also practice at Rogers Centre earlier in the day.

Jays still need a new stadium, eventually

Rogers Centre renovations over the past three winters have modernized the 36-year-old stadium. The construction projects probably added around 15 years to the ballpark’s lifespan, Shapiro said, but the Jays will still need a new home eventually.

“I think we need to start thinking about that,” he said.

When the day for a new home park does arrive, location will be the biggest question. Toronto is one of just a handful of MLB clubs with an accessible home park in a central downtown location. It’s not a destination the Jays will want to give up, even if it means playing elsewhere for multiple seasons. They’ll have to consider all options, Shapiro said, but he raved about the current downtown location.

“If you move the stadium,” Shapiro said, “it would change the nature of your fan base.”

Opening Day roster set

As Shapiro met with reporters in a stadium board room on Wednesday, the Blue Jays informed two final players that they made the Opening Day roster. Spencer Miles, a Rule 5 draft choice, beat out sidewinder Chase Lee for the last bullpen role. Davis Schneider took the final bench spot, as Leo Jiménez was designated for assignment.

OFFICIAL: Presenting your 2026 #OpeningNight roster! pic.twitter.com/W1MuN94Zcq

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 25, 2026

Miles, who must be offered back to the San Francisco Giants if he falls off Toronto’s 26-man roster this year, is a clear upside play. He brings the multi-inning ability Toronto wants in their last bullpen spot and owns an upper-90s sinker, but the 25-year-old has just 14 2/3 minor-league innings and has never thrown above Single A. He’s got a big-league spot after a strong spring, but must now keep it.

The Jays could have held onto some infield depth by carrying Jiménez and optioning Schneider. But, with the spring emergence of infield prospect Josh Kasevich, the Jays feel that they have other options if another team claims Jiménez. Schneider should share left field with Nathan Lukes and Jesús Sánchez, hitting against lefties, while pitching in at second base.

It is worth keeping in mind that this Opening Day roster is merely the roster for one day. It will change, many times. Last year, none of the six pitchers Toronto used on Opening Day were even on the World Series roster. Three weren’t even in the organization by the end of the year.