The Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in free-agent outfielder Billy Hamilton, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reports, a sign that the club isn't satisfied with its bench depth heading into the stretch run of the season.
Hamilton, who turns 32 in September, opted for free agency after being outrighted to triple-A by the Miami Marlins on Aug. 12. In his prime, he was one of the fastest players in baseball, stealing more than 50 bases in each season from 2014-17. This season in just 20 games with the Marlins — and only 15 at-bats — Hamilton has one hit but nine runs scored and seven stolen bases, suggesting speed remains the main asset of this switch-hitting veteran.
The Blue Jays have been cycling through depth outfielders of late, looking for extra offence off the bench. The team recently signed Jackie Bradley Jr. to the major-league roster, Yoshi Tsutsugo to a minor-league deal and lost Bradley Zimmer on waivers to the Philadelphia Phillies. Those moves, on top of the addition of utilityman Whit Merrifield at the trade deadline, give the Blue Jays plenty of options when building their roster.
