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Five takeaways from Blue Jays' state of the franchise

This year's Toronto Blue Jays state of the franchise – rebranded "The Leadoff" and featuring a much more elaborate on-field set-up – wasn't all that different from all the ones that preceeded it. Well, except for the obvious distinction that two of the three men leading the conversation are new to the franchise.

President Mark Shapiro, general manager Ross Atkins, and manager John Gibbons held court Thursday night at Rogers Centre as more than 2,000 season ticket holders made their way through the turnstiles wanting to hear from Toronto's top decision-makers on the hot-button topics affecting the team heading into the 2016 season.

Donaldson for the long haul?

Reigning American League MVP Josh Donaldson is going to get a hefty raise regardless of whether or not he wins his arbitration case. Donaldson, who made $4.3 million last season, filed for $11.8 million while Toronto came in with an offer for $11.35 million. He is arbitration eligible through the 2018 season.

If the Blue Jays are going to hammer out a deal with Donaldson before the arbitration hearing, it's going to be for more than just one season.

"My discussions with Josh have been great," said Atkins. "He’s an unbelievable talent, he’s an unbelievable player, he’s a great person, and we could not be happier that he’s here. We’re going to work towards a multi-year deal and hope that we get the best result there."

Negotiating with Bautista, Encarnacion

Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are entering the final year of their contracts with the Blue Jays and there's already talk that 2016 will be their last tour of duty with Toronto. However, the new top-level management wants it known they're already working on putting together offers for both players and contract talks could begin as early as the start of spring training.

Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista (19) and Edwin Encarnacion high five at home plate after scoring on Russell Martin's double off of New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova in the second inning in Game 2 of a doubleheader baseball game at Yankee Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista (19) and Edwin Encarnacion high five at home plate after scoring on Russell Martin's double off of New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova in the second inning in Game 2 of a doubleheader baseball game at Yankee Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Bautista will be 36 and Encarnacion 34, but age is just one factor the front office is weighing when it comes to their potential long-term impact on the franchise.

"It’s a no-brainer that we want to keep them here,” said Shapiro. "The sentiment is there and we’ve expressed that to both guys. We’re not going to get into the specific negotiations until we get down to spring training, but those conversations will be had.

"A lot of things will factor in to whether or not we’re able to get it done, but we’re going to make an effort and it’ll happen during spring training."

Getting down and dirty

The Blue Jays announced earlier this week that the infield at Rogers Centre will be made up of a combination of gravel, sand, and clay, replacing the all-turf surface that's been in place for years, similar to the setup used by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Is grass next? Former president Paul Beeston had identified 2018 as a target for the installation of a grass playing surface at the Rogers Centre and had commissioned a study through the University of Guelph to examine the different possibilities.

“It’s still something that we’re researching, Shapiro said. “The study is still going on at Guelph, but there’s some real challenges. We’ll have to figure all those things out, but we’ve got people far smarter than me that are studying that from an agriculture and an engineering perspective and once we get the report we’ll know

Position battles

There are three positions that are up in the air and no one in power is willing to commit to a clear leader in any of the races.

Michael Saunders and Dalton Pompey will battle for the left field job. The fifth starter spot is going to come down to either Jesse Chavez, Aaron Sanchez, or Drew Hutchison while Roberto Osuna and Drew Storen are being considered for the closer's role.

The leadoff spot in the lineup also remains unsettled after Ben Revere was traded to acquire Storen. Troy Tulowitzki filled the role briefly when he was brought over before the trade deadline last year and could do it again. Devon Travis would be the ideal choice for the Blue Jays, but his recovery from shoulder surgery could keep him out for the first two months of the season and Kevin Pillar has thrown his own name in the mix.

Gibbons feels the love

While Shapiro and Atkins received a generally warm welcome, the biggest ovation of the night was saved for Gibbons. Fans gave Gibbons a standing ovation when he took the stage. Given that he's been criticized, most often unfairly, since the moment he was hired prior to the 2013 season, it showed just how much perception changes when a team starts to win.

"What a difference a year makes," quipped Gibbons.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr