It’s been reported by BNS and Shi Davidi that the Jays haven’t made any last minute moves at the deadline. So, they got Génesis Cabrera (relief pitcher), Jordan Hicks (relief pitcher), and Paul DeJong (slightly below average hitting SS), but no new impact bats.
What do you think?
I’m disappointed. I think they should have done more to improve the Jays’ offensive floor, and their were opportunities to do so.
I suspect they didn’t like other teams’ asks. The farm isn’t exactly strong, they traded away two solid starting pitching prospects for Hicks, and we know Atkins can be risk averse.
It could also be that they liked their minor league options more than the players they could afford to acquire via trade. I wouldn’t mind seeing Horwitz or Schneider called up.
How has Addison Barger been doing? He impressed me in spring training. By my non-scout completely non-professional eye-test, he didn’t look too far away from being ready to hit in the big leagues.
Barger has bounced back recently from an injury the cost him the month of May.
His strikeouts are up in AAA this year over last year at 25% but around where they were when he was flying through A+ and AA last year. I suspect he’s going to be a strikeout guy due to his approach.
Fortunately, his walk rate is above his own norms at 13% this year and that kind of eye should help balance out some strikeouts. The best news is that his power is back; since June 30, he’s hit 4/5 of his home runs and 8/12 of his doubles this season.
They’re also moving him around a bit. He’s played SS, 2B, 3B, and RF for Buffalo this year. This front office loves moving guys around and pursues versatility, so I’m not sure if they’re trying to find his best long-term positional fit or to make him a utility guy like Biggio, Espinal, and Merrifield have been.
The resurgence of Orelvis Martinez could be part of the reason they’re moving Barger around. Of course, it’s hard to find playing time for all those middle infielders in Buffalo too, so it could just be that.
Thanks for the breakdown! Sounds like he’s heating up a bit then.