Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos told Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith today the club isn’t expecting second baseman Devon Travis back before early September.
Before the Blue Jays were simply out-mashing and out-pitching opposing teams, the club relied on other players for a spark and Travis was leading the charge. Acquired in a one-for-one trade with the Detroit Tigers in exchange for outfielder Anthony Gose, Travis immediately provided the Blue Jays with a much needed second base upgrade, hitting six home runs in his first month with the club on his way to the AL Rookie of the Month in April before hitting the DL with an initial should injury. Travis did hit well over .300 when he returned, but re-injuring his shoulder means the Blue Jays have to go with another option at second base.
Since Travis went down, the Blue Jays have relied on Ryan Goins, a fabulous fielder who can’t hit worth a lick. Yes, Goins plays above replacement level defense, and in a lineup filled with power bats, the club can afford to hide Goins, but you’re asking a lot out of him to hit above .220. You could argue the Blue Jays made an upgrade this week when they acquired Cliff Pennington, a versatile utility infielder who’s got a better bat than Goins, but he’s not an everyday player and Goins defense puts him ahead in the depth chart.
TORONTO, CANADA – AUGUST 4: Ryan Goins #17 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a double in the sixth inning during MLB game action against the Minnesota Twins on August 4, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Should Travis hit a snag in his recovery, the club may be best served to acquire a new second baseman. The Philadelphia Phillies have recently put Chase Utley on revocable waivers, and the Blue Jays should look to acquire the longtime Philly.
Utley has had a disappointing year so far in 2015, hitting only four home runs to go with a batting average below the Mendoza Line at .190, while only appearing in 69 games due to an ongoing ankle injury. Why would the Blue Jays want Utley if he’s struggling so badly? His cost should be lower than it’s ever been and he would provide another boost to the lineup should he return anywhere close to previous form. I know he’s not the former MVP candidate of old, but he still could be a valuable player for a team all-in to make the playoffs.
The Phillies have been open to taking on salary in trades, like they did in the Cole Hamels deal, and for a selectively cash strap team like the Blue Jays, there could be a good fit there. The worst case scenario is that Utley doesn’t improve and he becomes a solid bench option for a possible playoff team. Utley has a $15 million option should he hit 500 plate appearances, but there’s less than 1/3 of the season to go and he’s not even half way there, the Blue Jays shouldn’t have to worry about him reaching that marker.
However, it’s unclear if Utley will even clear through waivers, let alone make it to Toronto’s spot in the pecking order – the Giants reportedly have plenty of interest in him.
The Blue Jays offense has shown they can survive with Goins as their everyday starting second baseman, but imagine how potent their offense would be with Utley in the lineup. Here’s how it would look like.
1. SS Troy Tulowitzki
2. 3B Josh Donaldson
3. RF Jose Bautista
4. 1B Edwin Encarnacion
5. C Russell Martin
6. DH Chris Colabello
7. 2B Chase Utley
8. CF Kevin Pillar
9. CF Ben Revere
On paper, that looks pretty damn impressive. Yes it’s a considerable gamble since Utley has been a shell of his former self over recent years, but the Blue Jays are in win-now and can afford to take a chance on player who would turn a position of weakness into a possible strength.
