Our bases are loaded with four notes on the Toronto Blue Jays as the 2016 season approaches, courtesy of Rotowire:

• Roberto Osuna will begin the season as the Blue Jays' closer, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star reports.Manager John Gibbons made the announcement Wednesday morning, citing familiarity as the reason for choosing their young right-hander over Drew Storen. Presumably, Storen will open the season pitching the eighth inning as the team's primary setup man, but Osuna's value increases considerably as many owners expected the more experienced Storen to get the first opportunity to handle the job this season.

• Drew Storen has the lost the closer role to Roberto Osuna to begin the season, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star reports. With five consecutive scoreless innings after he allowed a solo homer in his spring debut, Storen did very little to hurt his chances of getting the job in Grapefruit League play. Jays manager John Gibbons cited familiarity with Osuna as part of the reason for the decision. Nevertheless, Storen is expected to open the season as a setup man for Osuna, and he'd likely be the replacement for him if the young closer succumbs to injury or a prolonged period of struggles at some point in 2016.

• The Blue Jays informed Ezequiel Carrera on Wednesday that he will open the season as the team's fourth outfielder, the Toronto Star reports. Carrera hit a paltry .154 (4-for-26) this spring, but he appeared in 91 games for the Blue Jays last season and is out of options, so the team decided to keep him over Junior Lake and Darrell Ceciliani. The Blue Jays will head into the regular season with just four outfielders, so Carrera will be the team's top backup at each of the three spots.

• The Blue Jays informed Ceciliani on Wednesday that he will begin the season in the minors, the Toronto Star reports. Ceciliani made an impressive push for a job this spring by going 15-for-36 (.417) with four home runs and 10 RBI, but because he could be optioned to the minors and Carrera could not, the Blue Jays decided that Carrera would open the season as the team's fourth outfielder. While Ceciliani's season figures to start with Triple-A Buffalo, his strong spring likely makes him the top option when the Blue Jays need to call up an outfielder from the minors.