Whether it has been injuries or poor results on the field, the Toronto Blue Jays haven’t seen much good fortune lately.
At the same time, it could be worse — the team remains in first place in the American League East. Plus, to the relief of Blue Jays fans, former Jays aren’t exactly playing their best baseball.
Early in the season we took a close look at how 10 prominent former Blue Jays were faring in 2014. At the time, many players were doing well, but since then the results haven’t been pretty. Emilio Bonifacio and Rajai Davis slowed down after hot starts, Josh Johnson was shut down for the season, while catchers J.P. Arencibia and Travis d’Arnaud were demoted.
So in the second edition, we looked back at essentially the same group of 10 players (Johnson being the lone exception) and how they’ve been performing up to this point in the season:
J.P. Arencibia, Texas Rangers: Arencibia surely thought going to Texas could revitalize his career, but his numbers were just as problematic with the Rangers. In 60 plate appearances to start the year, the catcher batted .133/.182/.233/.415 with one home run, six RBI and 15 strikeouts before being demoted to triple-A Round Rock on May 20.He has put up respectable numbers so far with Round Rock (19 RBI in 30 games), but barring any injuries he shouldn’t expect a call-up to the big leagues any time soon.
Emilio Bonifacio, Chicago Cubs: Bonifacio cooled off after a torrid start during which he batted .337 in his first 23 games. Over the past 37 games, Bonifacio has registered just 29 hits and three stolen bases in 140 plate appearances. After struggling for weeks, he was placed on the disabled list with a rib injury.
Rajai Davis, Detroit Tigers: Like Bonifacio, Davis’s offensive output has regressed. The outfielder has stolen 20 bases, but he has seen his OPS decline in every month of the season. His contributions to this point have been worth just 0.3 wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs, so he’s playing near replacement level.
Yan Gomes, Cleveland Indians: In one of GM Alex Anthopoulos’ toughest personnel moves, the Blue Jays traded Gomes to the Indians along with versatile infielder Mike Aviles for pitcher Esmil Rogers before the 2013 season. Rogers didn’t pan out while Gomes enjoyed a breakout year last season in Cleveland. His overall numbers aren’t quite as good in 2014 but they’re still respectable offensive numbers for a catcher. The 26-year-old is hitting .266/.315/.406/.721 with seven home runs and 23 RBI in 248 plate appearances.
Travis d’Arnaud, New York Mets: Once heralded as one of the best catching prospects in baseball, d’Arnaud has yet to find that kind of success at the big-league level. Still just 25, d’Arnaud is far from being considered a bust. After a tough 39-game stint with the Mets to start the year, d’Arnaud has torn up the Pacific Coast League with triple-A Las Vegas and he is expected to return to the majors as soon as this week. In his last 58 plate appearances, d’Arnaud has posted a stunning batting line of .444/.483/.926/1.409, but it’s worth pointing out that offensive numbers are generally inflated in the hitter-friendly confines of Las Vegas — the former triple-A affiliate of the Blue Jays.
Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets: While d’Arnaud came to New York with a ton of promise, Syndergaard was the prized acquisition of the R.A. Dickey trade. The right-hander, who’s considered to be the top Mets’ pitching prospect, has had a tough year thus far. Not only has he dealt with shoulder and elbow injuries, the 21-year-old has been a bit erratic on the mound. His strikeout rate (9.28 per nine innings) has been impressive, but he has allowed too many runs (ERA of 4.98) because of a high home run rate (1.2 HR/9). In his most recent two starts, he allowed nine earned runs on three home runs and just one walk. If he stays healthy, he should pitch for the Mets at some point this season.
Henderson Alvarez, Miami Marlins: Alvarez doesn’t project to be a frontline starter, but he has been very reliable for the Marlins in 2014. In 94.1 innings (15 starts), Alvarez has four wins, 61 strikeouts and just 18 walks with a 2.39 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. While the Marlins would like to see a higher strikeout rate, it’s tough to argue with the kind of command he has displayed this season.
Adeiny Hechavarria, Miami Marlins:In a sense, Hechavarria projected as a similar prospect to Anthony Gose — a supposed defensive whiz who wasn’t expected to contribute much offensively. The Marlins shortstop hasn’t been horrible at the plate so far this year – he’s batting .272/.299/.332/.631 with 10 doubles and 25 runs — but his defensive game hasn’t quite lived up to his reputation. His -3.3 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR, a prominent defensive metric on FanGraphs, measures how many runs a player has saved) ranks low compared to other qualified starting shortstops.
Travis Snider, Pittsburgh Pirates: When he’s not striking out Joey Votto, Snider hasn’t been a very impactful player. The Blue Jays’ 2006 first round pick has just four home runs and 13 RBIs in 150 plate appearances while batting .235/.322/.356/.678. FanGraphs graded him with a WAR of -0.3 so he has been playing below replacement level.
Jesse Chavez, Oakland Athletics: Chavez was only a Blue Jay for nine games in 2012 but the journeyman has certainly found a home in Oakland. In 15 starts (93.0 innings), the veteran right-hander has a 6-4 record with 82 strikeouts, 25 walks and ERA of 2.71. Chavez struggled a bit in the month of May but he’s bounced back over his last three starts, allowing just three earned runs over 19.0 innings. Not bad for a guy who wasn’t even expected to make the team’s rotation.