Jays Swap Outfielders

 

Photo From Sporting News

With spring training right around the corner, the Blue Jays decided not to wait for the Florida sunshine to make headlines. Instead, they made a move.

Toronto is sending Joey Loperfido back to Houston in exchange for Jesús Sánchez, a right fielder who quietly put together a solid season last year. In 134 games split between Miami and Houston, Sánchez racked up 107 hits and 14 home runs. Not exactly headline-stealing numbers, but not empty calories either.

Let’s get this out of the way: Is Jesús Sánchez the missing piece that suddenly turns the Jays into a World Series juggernaut? No. He’s not the parade planner. But he is another bat. And this lineup desperately needs depth that doesn’t disappear for weeks at a time.

Sánchez posted a .739 OPS last season, which, in simple terms, means he can get on base and provide some pop. He’s particularly useful against right-handed pitching, and that’s where you’ll likely see him most. This isn’t a blockbuster. It’s a “let’s make sure the bottom half of the order doesn’t feel like an automatic three outs” move.

Add him to the mix with Schneider and Barger, and suddenly there are options. Real ones. The kind that create competition instead of comfort. And if there’s one thing this lineup needed last year, it was a little internal pressure.

You also know hitting coach Dave Popkins is already staring at the swing mechanics like a scientist in a lab. If he can squeeze just a bit more consistency out of Sánchez, this could turn into one of those sneaky-good additions we look back on in August and nod about.

The front office clearly isn’t done. You can feel it. This feels like the appetizer, not the main course.

Opening Day is coming. The roster chess match has begun. And for once, it feels like the Jays are at least moving pieces instead of standing still.