CLEVELAND — This week’s flurry of Toronto Blue Jays transactions continued Thursday, as both Sean Reid-Foley and Anthony Alford found themselves on the opening day roster of the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, optioned to make room for Socrates Brito and Alen Hanson, who were acquired in separate deals Tuesday.
Thomas Pannone is scheduled take Reid-Foley’s place in the Blue Jays rotation, starting Saturday’s game against Cleveland. There is a scenario in which Friday’s game is rained out, forcing a double header on the weekend which would see Reid-Foley return to the Blue Jays as the 26th player permitted for double headers. But for now, he’ll remain in Buffalo.
Pannone’s time in the rotation may not last long, as the Blue Jays have a pair of off-days next week, nullifying the need for a fifth starter. Plus, Clay Buchholz — a late free-agent signing currently on the 10-day injured list — threw 60 pitches Tuesday and is nearly built up to a regular starter’s workload. He’ll next throw 75 pitches on Sunday, and if that goes well, he could join the Blue Jays rotation as soon as next weekend.
Reid-Foley suffered greatly in his long outing against the Baltimore Orioles earlier this week, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks, while needing 52 pitches to get through two innings. He wasn’t helped by some spotty defence played behind him, but Reid-Foley was undeniably not at his best. He’ll have the opportunity to put things back on the rails pitching out of Buffalo’s rotation.
After Reid-Foley’s turbulent two innings, Pannone took over and threw four scoreless frames of relief. Only two Orioles reached base against Pannone, who struck out five and limited hard contact, getting six outs in the air and one on the ground. That earned him Saturday’s start, his seventh in the majors.
With an average fastball velocity of around 90 m.p.h., Pannone won’t blow anyone away, relying instead on the deception of his delivery and location to avoid barrels. Pannone’s curveball is a useful weapon as well, whether he’s flipping it up for a strike or burying it beneath the zone in the pursuit of swing-and-miss.
Meanwhile, Brito and Hansen enter the position player mix and give manager Charlie Montoyo some interesting options when it comes to lineup construction and in-game maneuvering. That was evident immediately Thursday, as Justin Smoak was a late scratch due to neck tightness, which brought Hansen into the lineup at second base while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. shifted over to play first.
Brito was already in the lineup batting second and playing right field on a scheduled day off for Teoscar Hernandez. Brito can play all three outfield spots,
“You know what’s not fair for him right now?” Montoyo said. “He hasn’t really played. There’s no chance for him to go to the minor-leagues to play because he’s got no options. So, here we go. Play. Give him at-bats. That’s the best thing you can do for him.”
The Blue Jays will be Brito’s third organization in the last week, after the San Diego Padres claimed him off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, only to designate him for assignment three days later and flip him to Toronto. Brito brings big tools — namely speed and a plus outfield arm — with strong triple-A numbers in the hitter-happy Pacific Coast League, which is why teams are eager to give him opportunities. But he’s struggled to convert that potential into big-league success and missed crucial development time in 2016 and ’17 due to various injuries.
“I just pride myself as a player that always plays hard. You’re never going to see me running slow to the base,” Brito said. “I’m just going to go out there and have fun and compete each at bat. You’ve got to be ready for anything.”
Is this, Brito’s age-26 season, the year he puts it all together? The Blue Jays certainly hope so. But it’ll likely have to occur at the major-league level, as Brito’s out of options and the club doesn’t have the ability to send him to triple-A without exposing him to waivers. That’s why Alford, a promising homegrown prospect, was optioned to the Buffalo Bisons to make room for Brito. Alford will get important, everyday playing time for Buffalo, and is currently Toronto’s top option in the event of an injury to one of the club’s current outfielders.
“What I told him, honestly, was, ‘A guy with as many tools as you have, we want you to play every day. So, that kind of goes against you,” Montoyo said. “’If you’re here now, you’re not going to play every day. So, we want you to go there and put up numbers and be ready. When you come back, I want you to play every day.’ So, he understood that.”
Hanson got out to a hot start with the Giants in 2018, posting a .943 OPS through his first 100 plate appearances of the season while playing all over the diamond. But his numbers sank from there, and he finished the year with a .699 OPS over 310 plate appearances, a cold spell that extended into this year’s spring training, when Hanson struck out 20 times in only 54 plate appearances.
That’s why Hanson ended up designated for assignment at the end of Giants camp, and after a few days in limbo, he was included in the Pillar deal. He certainly fits a profile the Blue Jays desire as a speedy switch-hitter — Hansen’s 2018 sprint speed ranked among the top 20 per cent of players in MLB — with the versatility to play any position but catcher. Montoyo will have no shortage of options in how he can deploy him.
“I feel comfortable in pretty much all positions. Centre field, left field, shortstop, second base. Wherever Charlie needs me, I’ll be there for the team,” Hansen said. “He told me to be ready to play any position that he might need me.”
Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was scheduled to play 5-7 innings for the Dunedin Blue Jays Thursday night as he returns from an oblique strain. How he feels Thursday will determine his next step.
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On the pitching side, Ryan Borucki and Ryan Tepera threw side sessions Wednesday as they each work their way back from elbow injuries. Borucki was being evaluated Thursday to determine how he’ll progress, while Tepera is expected to return to games by the middle of the month.
Reliever David Phelps is also making progress as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery last March. As is typical in similar cases, Phelps was given some time off at the end of spring training after progressing to throwing live batting practice. He’s since resumed a throwing program.
Jonathan Davis has begun throwing and hitting without issue as he recovers from a right ankle sprain, and will begin running soon. Devon Travis remains in the strengthening phase of his rehab from a meniscus debridement in his right knee.
John Axford (left elbow stress reaction) continues to be shut down in order to allow bone healing and will be re-evaluated in mid-April. Clayton Richard (right knee stress reaction) is also in a period of rest until he’s asymptomatic, and travelled to Florida Thursday to begin his rehab. Dalton Pompey (concussion) is still symptomatic, and will not resume baseball activity until those symptoms subside.
