Blue Jays make tough roster decision in hopes of sparking offence

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Toronto Blue Jays began deviating from their plans in the middle of May, elevating Davis Schneider to the leadoff spot in place of George Springer while also dropping Bo Bichette. Last week, they cut a little deeper by optioning Erik Swanson to triple-A Buffalo and a few days later crossed a long-held no-go by twice starting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at third base, so that Daniel Vogelbach could get some run. 

On Friday came the deepest and most jarring change yet when Cavan Biggio, the homegrown utilityman who graduated to the majors in 2019 with much of the current core, was designated for assignment. Up in his place is Spencer Horwitz, who’s raked at triple-A Buffalo all season long but finally forced the front office’s hand with an 11-game, 87-inning crash course at second base, a position he’d played only seven times in four pro seasons prior.

So, you wanted changes? You wanted the team to do something? Well, the changes are here. Let’s get weird.

“You know, you look up and you are where you are and you evaluate, 'OK, what have we been doing? Has it been working? Has it not? Is it time to try something else?' That's kind of where we were,” Jays manager John Schneider said of the through line of the changes. “With Swanny, I wish everyone could have heard the conversation with him and how professional he was and him knowing he needed to get right in order to help us. Vladdy understanding that third base is doable for him and it's a way to help the team. Everyone's on the same page with that and everyone here just wants to win.”

The latest manoeuvring, coming right after the Blue Jays escaped fierce headwinds by rallying to split a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles by winning the final two games, did not produce a third straight victory Friday night. Instead, after Chris Bassitt delivered eight dominant innings of one-run ball, JJ Bleday homered on Chad Green’s first pitch of the ninth inning to give the Oakland Athletics a 2-1, walk-off win, capping another down day for the offence.

Horwitz, who woke up at 4:30 a.m. to catch a six-hour flight from Philadelphia, didn’t start with the Blue Jays stacking righties against lefty Hogan Harris, who allowed just one run on three hits and two walks over six innings, despite allowing seven hard-hit balls.

Their only damage came in the seventh, after Max Schuemann scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, when a Bichette laced a single to right to cash in a Guerrero double. Alejandro Kirk has hit by a pitch later in the frame to put two on with one out, but the rally then fizzled and the Blue Jays didn’t threaten again.

Harris threw 59 fastballs among his 91 pitches, his usage “nothing that we didn't talk about,” said Schneider. “We hit some balls hard early. Bo to the wall. I thought we were taking better swings on this fastball early, as we did as the game went on. But didn't do enough with guys on base.”

Horwitz is the latest change on the offensive side aimed at ensuring the Blue Jays, now 30-33, have fewer nights like this one.

The 26-year-old batted .335/.456/.514 in 57 games with Buffalo but with Guerrero at first, Justin Turner at DH and Vogelbach on the bench, he was about as blocked as a player could be. But Bisons manager Casey Candaele, seeking to create more pathways to the majors for the player, told Horwitz that "'I really like you there and I want to see it more,' and I said, OK," the infielder recalled. “So we did some early work, just gradually more and more, and we're going to try to stick with it a little bit.”

An extended slump for Biggio, who was prevented from hitting during the off-season by a shoulder issue that never went away, opened a door. He played sparingly in the last 11 days, making only one start and was told of the move after Thursday’s 6-5 win over the Orioles. Schneider said he and GM Ross Atkins told Biggio the change was “just us trying to take a different route with our roster and how we're constructed and the potential for a bit more offence with Spence.”

Still, as a fifth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2016, Biggio’s history with the club runs deep, and his absence will be felt.

"It sucks. I love Cavan,” said Bassitt. “I think he's still going to be a great player. Whoever he winds up playing with, he's going to help them. But I was trying to push that aside and just focus on today.”

While Biggio had options remaining, as a player with five years of service time in the majors, he would have had to consent to a demotion, which players in his position rarely do. So he was designated for assignment, handing his reps at second base over to Horwitz, who will also see some play at first and perhaps the occasional DH day.

“For one, his bat,” Schneider said of the tipping point on Horwitz’s use at second. “Two, in talking to Casey Candaele and Donnie Murphy down there, the words they used were 'pleasantly surprised' with his gameplay. And they put a very specific plan in place as to what they were working on every day. He performed well. And he's at the point with his bat to where he can hit in the major leagues. Is there some risk with it? Yeah, sure. There was risk with putting Schneid in left and he's gotten a lot better. Even Schneid when he came up last year at second and third. So there are going to be a little bit of growing pains to it. And I don't want to say he's coming up to play second only. It's just another option for him to get out there.”

Horwitz’s key challenges at second are in adjusting his footwork and speeding up his internal clock. Still, he’s mostly here to hit, and now he can let go the stray thoughts wondering about a promotion.

“It's the old cliche of trying to stay present, be where your feet are, but it's really real,” said Horwitz. “I think (I) handled it pretty well. Yeah, at times, I'm human, my mind's going to wonder and get frustrated, but it's not going to change the situation at hand. So it's better not to let those (feelings) fester and get back to where you are.”

In doing so, the Blue Jays are hoping he can help get them back to where they’ve been. Their changes are gradually becoming more and more drastic, with more to come if things don’t change, as “you’ve got to adjust, you’ve got to pivot,” said Schneider, especially for a team nowhere near where it wants to be.