The Dodgers and Blue Jays are in settlement on a commerce sending infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio from Toronto to Los Angeles in change for a minor league participant, experiences Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Minor league righty Braydon Fisher is heading again to Toronto, experiences ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Biggio was designated for project earlier within the week. The Dodgers have an open 40-man roster spot, so that they’ll solely must clear area on the lively, 26-man roster for Biggio.
The commerce formally closes the e book on Biggio’s tenure with the Blue Jays after practically a decade-long run. Chosen within the fifth spherical of the 2016 draft, the now-29-year-old Biggio emerged as one of many group’s higher prospects previous to his debut and seemed early in his profession to be a possible core member of the Jays. From 2019-20, Biggio batted .240/.368/.430 with 24 residence runs and 20 steals in roughly one full season’s price of taking part in time (159 video games, 695 plate appearances). His huge stroll fee and mix of energy, velocity and defensive versatility made him one of many extra intriguing younger gamers on the Jays’ roster, organising a possible core trio of second-generation skills alongside Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
As these high-profile teammates blossomed into All-Stars for the Jays, nonetheless, Biggio trended within the different path. Over the subsequent two seasons, he turned in a tepid .213/.320/.353 batting line with 13 homers and 7 steals. His strikeout fee climbed from 2020’s mark of 23 % into the higher 20s, and Biggio’s stroll fee dropped by three proportion factors as nicely. He rebounded to put up roughly league-average numbers on the plate in a restricted position final yr however has slipped to .200/.323/.291 with a career-worst 32 % strikeout fee this season.
General, since that promising 2019-20 begin to his profession, Biggio has batted .219/.327/.351 with a 12.1 % stroll fee towards a 27.5 % strikeout fee. That manufacturing comes regardless of a good bit of platooning. Biggio has principally even platoon splits in his profession, however the overwhelming quantity of his manufacturing towards lefties got here again in 2019-20. His bat fell off towards southpaws, particularly, in 2021 (.200/.290/.250), and the Jays started limiting his time towards lefties extra recurrently in subsequent seasons.
Flawed as he might have been over his previous a number of seasons, Biggio is a wise flyer for a Dodgers membership that has obtained minimal manufacturing out of second base (and, to a lesser extent, left area) in 2024. The underside of the L.A. lineup has been a problem all through the season. Veterans like Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez have struggled immensely, as has former high prospect Gavin Lux, who’s been the staff’s main second baseman however hit simply .223/.277/.297 by way of 188 journeys to the plate in his return after his 2023 season was worn out by a torn ACL.
Biggio handed 5 years of main league service time earlier this season, which means he can’t be optioned to Triple-A with out his consent. He’ll doubtless be part of the massive league roster and achieve this on the expense of a type of struggling veterans. Lux has minor league choices remaining and may very well be despatched down as a way to protect most depth.
Biggio may step in because the Dodgers’ main second baseman towards right-handed pitching, maybe taking a seat on the bench in favor of star Mookie Betts towards lefties. Veteran Miguel Rojas may deal with shortstop on these days. It’s additionally attainable that Biggio may see a while at third base, the place the Dodgers are at present with out Max Muncy (indirect pressure). Hernandez has stuffed in on the sizzling nook in Muncy’s absence however is hitting simply .207/.277/.314 on the season. Biggio has loads of outfield expertise as nicely, however with Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages and Jason Heyward all wholesome for the time being, there’s a larger want within the infield.
Biggio is incomes a $4.21M wage this season and has about $2.49M of that sum left to be paid out. The Dodgers are within the high luxurious bracket and pays a 110 % tax on that wage, which means they’re successfully spending a bit greater than $5M to accumulate Biggio. He’s managed by way of subsequent season through arbitration, so if he’s capable of flip issues round following the change of surroundings, Biggio may very well be a multi-year piece for the Dodgers. The Blue Jays are additionally luxurious taxpayers at current, so that they’ll save not solely that $2.49M but additionally a 30 % tax hit on that sum.
Along with sheer value financial savings, the Blue Jays will choose up a 23-year-old righty whom the Dodgers chosen with their fourth-round choose again in 2018. Fisher is a pure reduction prospect who has missed bats in huge portions all through his minor league tenure however has additionally recurrently battled subpar command. He’s labored to a mixed 5.68 earned run common between Double-A and his first style of Triple-A piece this season. Practically all the injury towards him got here in a single meltdown outing that noticed him yield six runs in simply 1 2/3 innings late final month.
This season, Fisher has struck out precisely one-third of his opponents (30 of 90) but additionally walked one-sixth of them (15). The 6-foot-4 Texas native punched out 30.8 % of his opponents in 2022 and 32.7 % of them final season but additionally logged stroll charges of 17 % and 13.4 % in these respective seasons.
Provided that Fisher has climbed to Triple-A this season, he may very well be an choice for the Blue Jays within the quick time period. His stroll charges are an apparent crimson flag, however it’s onerous to not be intrigued by a reduction prospect who’s recurrently whiffed 30-33 % of his opponents whereas posting gaudy swinging-strike charges alongside the best way.
