Toronto Blue Jays: Gabriel Moreno adds to stellar positional depth

The Toronto Blue Jays have seen many top prospects make their way over to the big club but Gabriel Moreno doesn’t have the same pressure as others.

There will be some extra eyes on the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend as they prepare to face Detroit Tigers.

Fortunately for the fans crossing the border and taking the trip to Detroit, they will see the debut of another prominent prospect in Gabriel Moreno. The 22-year-old is expected to join the team for this weekend series but it’s not known yet when he will actually get in the lineup.

This is a player who has been in the team’s system since 2016 after getting signed out of Venezuela for $25,000. Then he made his presence known once he joined the organization and hasn’t looked back.

With the Blue Jay putting Moreno in Triple-A, the catcher did what he could to keep his name in the mix as one of the potential call-ups. He was hitting .324 with a .784 OPS and was throwing out 54 per cent of the runners attempting to steal.

Moreno was originally an infielder when he signed but the team converted him into a catcher in order to capitalize on his versatility. Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk are proving to be a formidable catching duo this season which allowed Moreno time to keep on improving.

Now with Jansen out with a broken finger, a spot has opened up for Moreno to show why he is the fourth-ranked prospect in all of MLB. After seeing the benefits of what Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette have done going from top prospects to bonafide major leaguers, the excitement for Moreno is justified.

Can Gabriel Moreno’s emergence make the Toronto Blue Jays take advantage of a surplus?

There aren’t many MLB teams that have three catchers on their roster. It’s a luxury the Blue Jays have used to their advantage this season as they have been afforded some flexibility with how their lineup is used.

Moreno has the added benefit of being able to play other positions so if his bat is as good as it’s being touted then the Blue Jays will find a way to get him at-bats. This could also mean that the surplus can be used to improve other areas of the roster, like the pitching staff.

If Toronto is looking to swing big and add another arm to the rotation given that it will be hard to depend on Hyun Jin Ryu and Yusei Kikuchi, who continue to be inconsistent. If there is a deal that makes sense, the Blue Jays could turn a decent rotation into one of the toughest in the American League.

Of course, having depth at the catching position is crucial but if it makes sense to use one to help a position of need then the Blue Jays have to think about it.

Are you excited about Moreno’s debut? What are your expectations for him? Let us know in the comments below.