Toronto Blue Jays: Marcus Semien signing another logical fit
The Toronto Blue Jays needed to upgrade at centre field and did exactly that with the George Springer signing then proceeded to make another big addition with the signing of Marcus Semien.
On a one-year deal, the Blue Jays aren’t risking much and providing more stability in the infield. This is a player who was a finalist for the AL MVP award in 2019 after slashing .285/.369/.522 with 33 home runs.
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A not-so-great 2020 led to Semien likely losing out on a big deal in the off-season and has the chance to earn a bigger deal if he can bounce back. Fortunately for Toronto, Semien isn’t being asked to contribute at the top of the lineup and hopefully, he can get back to his normal routine which allowed to him to play in all 162 games in 2019.
The Blue Jays expect Semien to play at second base and fill in at shortstop when Bo Bichette needs an off day. This means that third base will be up for grabs with Cavan Biggio likely getting pencilled in right now while also giving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. some time there.
As Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith explains, the Blue Jays are projected to be the fourth-best offence in baseball with the additions of Springer and Semien. Defensively, the Blue Jays will be more solidified in the middle of the diamond.
What this also does is put Toronto in a position to let top prospects Jordan Groshans and Austin Martin develop at their pace and provides them with a more defined timeline. Also, as Nicholson-Smith writes, the Blue Jays will likely offer Semien a qualifying offer if he has a strong season that way they can get a draft pick if he were to leave.
As the Springer deal did, the Blue Jays roster looks substantially better than it did at the end of the season. However, the starting rotation remains the major hole that still needs to be addressed.
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What are your thoughts on the Semien addition? Can he get back to his form from 2019? Let us know in the comments below.