The Blue Jays introduced they’ve chosen infielder Will Wagner to their roster, his first time cracking an enormous league roster. Infielder Luis De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo within the corresponding transfer. @LoperBloss reported the Wagner transfer on X yesterday. After yesterday’s sport, Julia Kreuz of MLB.com relayed on X that De Los Santos had been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. “They need to see some new gamers within the group,” De Los Santos mentioned. “However it’s OK. I’ll preserve working, doing my half and I’m hoping to return again quickly.” The Blue Jays had a emptiness on their 40-man roster however it’s now full.
Wagner, 26, is the son of long-time nearer Billy Wagner. The elder Wagner had spent a lot of his profession with the Astros and it was that group that drafted the youthful Wagner, utilizing an 18th-round choice on him in 2021. Houston flipped Wagner, outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-hander Jake Bloss to the Blue Jays in the latest commerce that despatched left Yusei Kikuchi the opposite method.
In his skilled profession, Wagner has regularly put up strong numbers on the plate, although in a hit-over-power vogue. He has 1,273 minor plate appearances throughout a number of ranges with simply 25 dwelling runs in that point. However he has solely been punched out in 17.1% of these journeys to the plate whereas drawing walks at a robust 13.9% clip. Regardless of the restricted pop, his .297/.402/.441 mixed batting line interprets to a 125 wRC+, indicating he’s been 25% higher than league common total.
That features sturdy work on the Triple-A degree. He was promoted to the highest minor league plateau in September of final 12 months and has since slashed .337/.445/.465 for a 136 wRC+ in 383 plate appearances. There are solely six dwelling runs in there however he has walked greater than he has been struck out by a hefty margin, drawing a free move in 15.9% of his appearances in comparison with a ten.2% strikeout charge.
That high quality plate self-discipline was sufficient for the Jays to focus on him in commerce talks with the Astros and they’re going to now promote him to the majors after giving him a seven-game close-up take a look at Triple-A Buffalo. Baseball America ranked him the #17 prospect within the Astros’ system coming into the 12 months, complementing his hit instrument however noting that he’s not a robust defender. He’s at the moment listed twenty fifth within the Jays’ system at BA. In June, FanGraphs put him twenty sixth within the Astros’ system and at the moment lists him thirtieth in Toronto’s group.
The Jays are out of rivalry and utilizing the rest of the season to evaluate some present gamers and make choices about tips on how to sort out their offseason. The membership plans to return to rivalry in 2025 and is at the moment giving enjoying time to younger guys like Loperfido, Spencer Horwitz, Leo Jiménez, Addison Barger and now Wagner, seeing which positions are essentially the most or least in want of addressing through the winter.
Wagner has performed all three non-shortstop infield positions this 12 months, although the Jays largely have had him at second base for the reason that commerce. The Astros gave him a variety of enjoying time at first, however that may have been a mirrored image of that membership’s struggles at that place, whereas Jose Altuve has the keystone locked up.
The Jays have been giving Horwitz a variety of time at second this 12 months however may maybe have him and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. break up first base and designated hitter now that Justin Turner has been traded and is not within the DH spot. Or maybe Wagner will see vital time because the DH since his glovework isn’t extremely regarded. Guerrero has additionally been enjoying a little bit of third base this 12 months and will transfer over to that aspect of the diamond, with Jiménez and Ernie Clement additionally within the combine for some infield enjoying time. Barger and Davis Schneider may play some infield, although the Jays have George Springer, Daulton Varsho and Loperfido getting common enjoying time on the market.
There are many shifting components however there’s a lot of versatility within the group, so supervisor John Schneider will in all probability spend the remainder of the 12 months rotating guys round and spreading out the alternatives in order that the membership can assess every of the gamers on the plate and within the subject.
