Montero in, Sparkman out in busy day of moves for Blue Jays

Blue Jays analyst Mike Wilner discusses the Blue Jays acquisition of Miguel Montero, says they not only get a capable back-up to spell Russell Martin, but also a very capable left-handed bat off the bench.

NEW YORK — It was a busy day of comings and goings for the Toronto Blue Jays as they prepared to start a three-game set Monday with the New York Yankees in the Bronx.

Mike Bolsinger’s contract was selected from the triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Aaron Sanchez rejoined the team, although not yet on the active roster. Glenn Sparkman was designated for assignment. Ian Parmley, who was designated on Saturday, was outrighted to Buffalo. And there is one more move to come after the game to make room for catcher Miguel Montero, who was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs earlier in the day.

Let’s begin with Montero, who is expected to be activated Tuesday and become the club’s backup catcher. Luke Maile has been filling that role since taking over for Jarrod Saltalamacchia in late April and was scheduled to start behind the plate for Monday night’s game. But that could be his last with the Blue Jays, as he’s the most likely candidate to be shuffled off the roster to make way for Montero.

Montero provides a definite offensive upgrade to Maile and also gives the Blue Jays the luxury of another left-handed bat, something the club has coveted for weeks.

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“I’ve heard some good things about him. He can swing the bat,” Gibbons said of Montero. “It’s a left-handed bat. Russ is still our guy. But maybe [Montero] will generate some offence. We’re hoping.”

Montero certainly carries a proven bat, having put up a .758 OPS over his 12-year major league career and batting .286/.366/.439 over 44 games with the Cubs this season.

Defensively, Montero has been regarded as an above average pitch framer over the course of his career and was once excellent at controlling the running game, throwing out 40 and 42 per cent of base stealers in 2011 and ’12. But his caught-stealing percentage has plummeted in recent years, cratering to 11 per cent in 2016. So far this season, Montero has caught only one of the 32 runners to attempt a steal against him.

Of course, part of the reason Montero was let go by the Cubs was a candid public assessment of Chicago’s pitching staff (especially starter Jake Arietta) and their work holding runners following a game in which the Washington Nationals stole seven bases with Montero behind the plate. The 33-year-old catcher quickly apologized both publicly and privately for his comments, but was nevertheless designated for assignment by the Cubs less than 24 hours after the game.

Regardless, this move is almost entirely about offence for the Blue Jays. The backup catcher position has been an offensive void for the club this season, with Maile, Saltalamacchia and Mike Ohlman combining for only 14 hits and four walks in 136 plate appearances through the season’s first half. Blue Jays catchers not named Russell Martin are batting .108/.140/.162 with just three extra-base hits this year.

Not many catchers are known for their offence, but those numbers are well below league average and it would be surprising if Montero didn’t help boost them. If Maile is the one to go, his defensive abilities and game-calling will surely be missed. But the Blue Jays couldn’t pass up an opportunity to add a left-handed slugger behind the plate.

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“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Luke and what he’s done for us,” Gibbons said. “He’s been really, really good behind the plate. Not a lot of hits. But a lot of guys don’t get hits when they’re not playing much, you know? But his strength is definitely handling the pitching staff and throwing. And I think he’s done a good job of that.”

When Montero is activated by the Blue Jays, starter Aaron Sanchez won’t be far behind. The right-hander rejoined the team Monday in New York and is set to officially come off the disabled list for this week’s series with the Houston Astros. The club has yet to announce what day Sanchez will pitch, but if he’s kept on a normal five-day schedule that would line him up for Friday night’s start.

Sanchez, who has been out since mid-May with blister issues, pitched his second rehab outing Sunday for the Bisons, throwing 76 pitches (40 strikes) over 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks. He clearly didn’t have his best command on the day, but in a rehab start the results are secondary. The most important thing is how Sanchez feels and how his finger is responding to the stress of his increasing workload. According to the man himself, he’s all systems go.

“Everything’s good. No issues. It’s a positive sign,” Sanchez said after the outing. “It’s been good for a few weeks now. So, that’s encouraging to be able to throw 75 pitches with no issues.”

The Blue Jays are also hoping to welcome reliever Joe Smith back into the fold this weekend. Smith has been out for more than two weeks with right shoulder inflammation, but threw off a mound Sunday and felt like himself. The Blue Jays have yet to decide whether he’ll require a brief minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the club.

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“You hopefully get him back by this weekend, but that’s no guarantee,” Gibbons said. “If not, I would hopefully think right after the all-star break. He may need to go down [to the minors] and pitch a game, see what it looks like. But he’s feeling better.”

Meanwhile, Bolsinger returns to the Blue Jays to reinforce a beleaguered bullpen that was stretched to its limits during the club’s disastrous series sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox last weekend. Bolsinger’s been starting for the Bisons, and had an exceptional outing his last time out, throwing a four-hit shutout over eight innings while striking out seven. Monday would have been his next turn in the rotation, so if the Blue Jays are in need of long relief in their opener against the Yankees, Bolsinger will all but certainly be called upon.

In turn, Sparkman’s Blue Jays tenure has almost certainly reached its end. As a Rule 5 pick, he’ll have to pass through waivers and then be offered back to the Kansas City Royals before the Blue Jays can outright him to the minors. He’ll likely clear waivers, but there is no apparent reason why the Royals would not take Sparkman back and return him to their minor-league system.

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