TORONTO – Rowdy Tellez and reliever Javy Guerra, a non-roster invitee to spring training, were named to the Toronto Blue Jays’ opening day roster ahead of Thursday’s season-opener against the Detroit Tigers, moves resulting from the trade of Kendrys Morales to the Oakland Athletics.
The Blue Jays also brought outfielder Anthony Alford into town but didn’t add him to the roster because “we wanted to make sure we were covered, we wanted to make sure we had our alternatives,” general manager Ross Atkins said.
“There was a scenario had the (Morales) trade not gone through, we would potentially have had to burn a player off of our 40-man roster,” he continued. “We didn’t have to, so having a 40-man player here, it could have been short term or long term, was important to us.”
The Blue Jays ultimately opted for Tellez because “it came down to who would get the most playing time and who were our alternatives,” explained Atkins. “In our current setup, in our current alignment, Rowdy will be plugged right into that spot. He has options. We have options.”
In that way moving Morales – even at the expense of eating more than $10 million of his $12 million salary this season – is a move the Blue Jays needed to make. Minor-league infielder Jesus Lopez offered them a lottery ticket while the Athletics also send over $1 million in international bonus pool room, which gets added to the $500,000 recently picked up from the Baltimore Orioles for Dwight Smith Jr.
That money must be spent before the next international signing period opens July 2. “Do we have our eyes on certain targets? Absolutely,” said Atkins. “But you can’t completely control who you acquire, so the flexibility is also an added benefit.”
“It’s a good baseball trade for both teams,” he added. “It’s a clear need for them right now and it opens up an opportunity for our younger players, creates more opportunities for versatility, and obviously there was a return, as well.”
Guerra made the team by pitching best in the latter stages of camp, but the roster and the bullpen remains fluid. Bud Norris was scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Thursday and will push for an addition once physically ready.
Roster pressure will soon come from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., too, as Atkins said he’s slated to appear in spring training games this weekend after recovering from an oblique strain. Beyond that, a rehab assignment, a weather-dependent call between single-A Dunedin and triple-A Buffalo, will follow.
“We’re moving that timeline as quickly as we possibly can to make him an option,” said Atkins.
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