The Ryan Goins experiment lasted less than a month. After the second baseman posted a line of .150/.203/.217/.420 in his first 60 at-bats, the Toronto Blue Jays had seen enough and optioned him to triple-A Buffalo. With the additional roster spot, the Blue Jays promoted infielder Chris Getz on Tuesday. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Mickey Storey has been released.
Getz may not be a household name, so here’s a full breakdown on the club’s new second baseman.
Name: Chris Getz
Born: Southfield, Michigan
Age: 30 (turns 31 on Aug. 12)
Height: 6-foot-0 Weight: 185 lb.
Bats: Left Throws: Right
The left-handed hitting Getz spent the majority of his big-league at career second base (but played some shortstop) with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals. In 18 games with the Bisons this year, he batted .309 with nine RBIs and six stolen bases.
The Michigan native was a two-sport star in high school where he was a three-time all-Michigan selection in both football and baseball. He set high school records for batting average, doubles, walks, stolen bases and saves, which earned him the title of “Michigan’s Mr. Baseball” in 2002.
Later that year, Getz was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the amateur player draft. He did not sign, deciding instead to attend Wake Forest University – the alma mater of his father. The next season, the infielder returned to Michigan after transferring from Wake Forest to the University of Michigan where he set Big 10 records for hits and at-bats.
The White Sox must have been impressed with Getz because they selected him again in the fourth round (125th overall) of the 2005 draft. It didn’t take him long to rise up through the system. He spent only 55 games in low-A ball before a promotion to double-A Birmingham in 2006. Getz was then promoted to triple-A two seasons later where he posted his best numbers in the minor leagues — .302/.366/.448/.814 with 11 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 111 games in 2008.
That season, Getz got his first major league action. He debuted as a pinch runner for Paul Konerko during a 4-3 loss to Baltimore in late April before being sent back down to triple-A. That season, he was named to the All-Star Futures game before the White Sox recalled him on Aug. 10. He recorded his first hit and RBI on Aug. 12 and the next day made his first start at second base, going 1-for-3 with a single against the Kansas City Royals.
At that point Getz was considered to be a top-10 prospect in the organization. He had the best strike zone discipline and hitting ability of any prospect in the White Sox system in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, according to Baseball America.
The second baseman became a full-time big league player in 2009 after winning a job in spring training when Alexei Ramirez shifted over to shortstop. In 2009, he spent 107 games with Chicago, hitting 18 doubles with 31 RBIs, 25 steals and a battling line of .261/.324/.347/.670.
Unfortunately for Getz, the White Sox had another promising second baseman in the system (Gordon Beckham) so the team felt comfortable dealing him and third baseman Josh Fields to the Royals for veteran Mark Teahen.
Getz never quite got started during his tenure with the Royals, partly because he suffered multiple injuries. He played just 72 games in 2010 after an oblique injury and a concussion ended his season. He appeared in 118 games in 2011 but had injury issues again in 2012 (three trips to the disabled list with various injuries) and required season-ending surgery for a broken thumb. The Royals still re-signed Getz for 2013 season, but his production began to tail off.
Kansas City did not offer him a contract for 2014 and he signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays this past January – thanks to recommendations from former Royals coaches John Gibbons and Kevin Seitzer. In his big-league career, he has amassed 110 walks as compared to just 169 strikeouts.
“Great teammate, great guy, does the little things,” Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said when Toronto signed Getz. “His offensive performance in his career speaks for itself, but right now second base is most likely going to be the nine-hole bat in the lineup.”
Getz could be considered a prototypical Alex Anthopoulos addition. The Blue Jays bought low on a player who once offered solid upside before injuries hampered his career. He adds depth and speed to a position where the team lacked offensive punch with Goins struggling at the plate and Maicer Izturis out with a serious knee injury.