Davis Schneider still hopes to be a Blue Jay next season. After the worst year of his career, the moustached fan favourite may not get a say.

"Every year you don't know what the next year is going to entail," Schneider told The Nation Network's Lindsay Dunn before the final regular-season game.

"Hopefully next year, if I am still here, I don't want to make assumptions," he added. "We have to perform better and perform better for these fans."

The numbers explain the uncertainty. He collected just 18 hits in 156 plate appearances in 2026.

His roster status is murkier than it should be. BlogTO reports the Jays burned his third and final option this season, which would end the free trips to Buffalo.

The Athletic's Mitch Bannon, though, said earlier this month that Schneider still has a minor-league option. Either way, the front office has a decision to make.

Toronto's crowded outfield squeezes a fan favourite

The depth chart doesn't help. Anthony Santander and Addison Barger are expected back from injuries, with Brett Bateman, Josh Smith and Nathan Lukes also in the mix.

So what's the trade market for a 27-year-old coming off a lost year? Thin, probably, but not empty.

He hit 10-plus homers in both 2024 and 2025. Rebuilding clubs looking for a right-handed bat with some pop could bite.

He's on a league-minimum pre-arbitration deal and under team control through 2030, per BlogTO. That cheap control is the best selling point he has.

Trade him now. If the option really is gone, waiting means risking losing him for nothing, and even a minor-league arm beats that outcome.

He's the band T-shirt everybody loves but nobody wears anymore. The sentimental value is real, but it doesn't earn a roster spot.

The fan connection is genuine. Between the moustache and the personality, few role players have won over Rogers Centre the way he did over four seasons.

The Jays owe him a clear answer before spring training. If it's a trade, at least he gets a fresh start, and if it's Buffalo again, the option debate finally gets settled.