Michael Saunders’ torn meniscus represents a major blow for the Toronto Blue Jays, who must now find a left fielder capable of filling in for a half-season.
Saunders had been acquired in the hopes that he’d provide 20-home run power and solid defence at the position previously occupied by Melky Cabrera. Instead, the injury likely costs the Blue Jays their starting left fielder and primary left-handed bat until the all-star break.
In the meantime, manager John Gibbons will take a long look at the other outfielders in camp and GM Alex Anthopoulos will be prepared to look around the league later this spring if the Blue Jays want reinforcements. Here’s a closer look at who the Blue Jays could place alongside Jose Bautista and centre field frontrunner Dalton Pompey in Toronto’s starting outfield:
Internal Options
The Blue Jays have many internal options, though Edwin Encarnacion and Devon Travis don’t appear to be among them:
Kevin Pillar
Bats: R | Throws: R | Age: 26 | Roster status: On 40-man
Pros: Pillar has a career batting line of .320/.362/.467 in the minor leagues and recent MLB experience at all three outfield positions. He hits left-handers and though he disappointed the team with a public display of frustration in June, he earned praise from Gibbons for his aggressive defence and baserunning later in the season.
Cons: Pillar has a career OPS of just .583 against right-handed pitching and he doesn’t walk much, so expecting him to produce every day would be asking a lot. Plus, he’s a right-handed bat and Toronto’s lineup already skews heavily to the right.
Ezequiel Carrera
Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 27 | Roster status: non-roster invitee
Pros: Carrera’s speed allows him to cover ground on defence and steal bases (25/32 in stolen base attempts in 478 career plate appearances). Like Pillar, he has played all three outfield positions.
Cons: He hasn’t hit much (career OPS of .645) and he has even splits, so he’s not a logical platoon candidate.
Chris Dickerson
Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 32 | Roster status: non-roster invitee
Pros: Dickerson has a left-handed bat and a career on-base percentage of .335 in seven seasons. He has a career OPS of .746 against right-handed pitching and as a bonus, most of his MLB experience comes in left field.
Cons: His offence has dropped off in recent seasons (.652 OPS since 2013), and he hasn’t hit left-handed pitching much in the course of his career (.629 OPS).
Andy Dirks
Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 29 | Roster status: non-roster invitee
Pros: Dirks has had success hitting MLB pitching and has a career OPS of .751 against right-handers.
Cons: He’s in minor-league camp continuing to rehab from a back injury, so he’s not a realistic option for now. If his recovery goes well, he’ll be worth watching given his history of production and left-handed bat.
Caleb Gindl
Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 26 | Roster status: non-roster invitee
Pros: Gindl has 101 minor-league home runs and a minor-league OPS of .810. Still just 26, he bats from the left side of the plate.
Cons: The former Brewers outfielder has just 178 plate appearances at the big-league level. Counting on him would be risky.
Danny Valencia
Bats: R | Throws: R | Age: 30 | Roster status: On 40-man
Pros: Valencia hits left-handed pitching (career OPS of .870) with more authority than just about anyone else the Blue Jays could find. Gibbons expects him to get some reps in left.
Cons: He’s a corner infielder who has never played in the outfield as a big leaguer and has just four games of minor league experience in left field.
Free Agency
This late in the off-season there’s very little available on the free agent market. Even the top option available doesn’t look like a fit in Toronto:
Dayan Viciedo
Bats: R | Throws: R | Age: 25 | Roster status: free agent
Pros: Viciedo has 66 big league home runs, including 21 last year, to go along with an impressive .837 OPS against left-handed pitching. The team that signs him can control his rights through the 2017 season.
Cons: He’s viewed as a poor defender, and the numbers back that assessment up. He’s nothing special against right-handed pitching and he hasn’t posted an above-average OPS since 2010. Plus, the free agent Scott Boras client might prefer to play somewhere he’s assured of getting playing time all season long. All things being equal Toronto would presumably prefer a left-handed bat.
Trade Candidates
The Red Sox, Padres and Dodgers could all part with outfield depth, but it’s hard to imagine Boston dealing with Toronto. While Andre Ethier could be squeezed out in Los Angeles, there’s no reason the Blue Jays would choose to spend $56 million on a player coming off of the worst season of his career. The Padres might not mind dealing Cameron Maybin ($16 million in future commitments remaining) or Carlos Quentin ($8 million salary, 2014 knee injury), but neither player looks like a fit for Toronto. One of their teammates, on the other hand, could at least be a consideration later in the spring:
Will Venable
Bats: L | Throws: L | Age: 32 | Roster status: San Diego Padres
Pros: The left-handed hitting Venable has a career .751 OPS against right-handers, but he no longer has a starting role in San Diego. He generated at least 1.5 wins above replacement each season from 2009-2013 and even hit 22 homers in 2013. The Padres had enough confidence in his defence to make him a regular centre fielder in spacious Petco Park last year.
Cons: Venable posted a career-worst .613 OPS last year (well below league average even considering his home park) and dealt with some back soreness late in the season. He has a career OPS of .633 against lefties, so he’s best used in a platoon. He earns $4.25 million in 2015 and while that’s a reasonable salary considering his track record, the Blue Jays don’t appear to have tons of payroll flexibility.
Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, there doesn’t appear to be much out there. Relying on some combination of Pillar, Carrera, Dickerson and potentially Dirks might be necessary even if they’d project as a below-average combination in left field. Saunders’ return can’t come soon enough.
