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Toronto Blue Jays Season Preview: Outfield with strong potential

By David Morassutti

TORONTO, ON - JULY 1: A general view of Rogers Centre as a large Canadian flag is unfurled in the outfield on Canada Day during the playing of the Canadian national anthem before the start of the Toronto Blue Jays MLB game against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on July 1, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JULY 1: A general view of Rogers Centre as a large Canadian flag is unfurled in the outfield on Canada Day during the playing of the Canadian national anthem before the start of the Toronto Blue Jays MLB game against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on July 1, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Blue Jays
TORONTO, ON – JULY 27: Steve Pearce /

Steve Pearce

In an ideal situation, Pearce would be pencilled in as the team’s first-base/designated hitter against left-handed pitching. It was a tough season in 2017 injury-wise for the 34-year-old and he missed some time in spring training with a calf issue.

He spoke with Sportsnet‘s Shi Davidi on the impact injuries had on him last season and what he hopes to accomplish this season.

"“There was no surgery involved so it was kind of like you didn’t know if it was going to be fixed or not,” said Pearce. “There were days when I was definitely frustrated … because I was putting in the work and I wasn’t feeling the relief that I wanted to. That was probably most frustrating out of everything.”"

He certainly showed some pop behind the plate at times last season, but his inability to stay off the DL kept him from getting into a rhythm. Now he needs to show the Toronto Blue Jays what value he can provide, despite not being in an ideal position on the field.

He is better suited for first base but given that Smoak and Kendrys Morales man that spot in the lineup, he will have to hope his body holds up in the outfield.

He is a player who needs to prove he still has what it takes to contribute more regularly, but luckily his contract was a bargain when he signed it. Unfortunately, if he continues to build the reputation as a constant injury prone player, he will have a tough time finding a new team that will pay him in free agency.

With the crowded outfield, it would not be surprising to see Pearce on the trade block if the Blue Jays go into selling mode. He is still an effective player at an affordable price point, which is why the team was attracted to him in the first place.

Projections
Year Tm Age PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Rel
2018 Proj. 35 404 360 47 90 18 1 16 46 1 2 35 83 .250 .323 .439 .762 158 11 5 1 2 2 77%

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/28/2018.

Next: Top 10 Moments in Jays' Franchise History

Who do you look forward to watching in the Toronto Blue Jays’ outfield this season? Do you see Hernandez playing a big role at some point this season? Let us know in the comments below. 

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