The Blue Jays have designated infielder Breyvic Valera for assignment, as per a team announcement. The move creates a roster spot for right-hander Rafael Dolis, whose one-year deal (with a club option) with the Jays became official yesterday.
Valera appeared in five games for Toronto in late September, after the Jays plucked him off the Yankees’ roster via a waiver claim. With such veterans as Joe Panik and Ruben Tejada already lined up as utility infield options in Spring Training camp, Valera was likely deemed expendable. Should another team claim Valera during his latest trip through the DFA process, it will mark the sixth time in less than two years that Valera has switched uniforms.
Over 54 career Major League games since the start of the 2017 season, Valera has already played for five different teams — the Blue Jays, Yankees, Orioles, Dodgers, and Cardinals, who originally signed him back in 2010. (Valera also had a brief stint in the Giants’ farm system last season.) The best-known of those transactions, by far, is Valera’s inclusion as part of the trade package sent from the Dodgers to Baltimore for Manny Machado in July 2018, though Valera was something of a throw-in rather than a key factor in the deal.
The 28-year-old Valera has only a .592 OPS over 138 plate appearances in the big leagues, but he has performed reasonably well at the minor league level, hitting .299/.360/.397 over 4099 PA. Valera has mostly worked as a second baseman, though since his best path to the Show is as a utility player, he also has quite a bit of experience around the diamond at every position besides catcher and pitcher.
When the Blue Jays dumped Richard Urena instead of Valera, I thought they were insane. Then I realized that, looking through Valera’s minor league stats, he actually has experience, albeit little, in centre field. Given the Blue Jays’ outfield situation, maybe a backup centre fielder could be beneficial, I’d thought.
Then I woke up this morning, went on MLB Trade Rumours (yes, I’m Canadian if the spellings are weird to Americans) and saw that Valera had been officially DFA’d. Evidently, the Jays’ front office just wants to mess with my mind.
Welp…
I try to understand things.
Colour me surprized by this. I had assumed the Jays would honour their contract with this homme but now there are rumours of this? Is this fourward thinking courenntly being shouwn? All aloung this proucess they shouold have knouwn that foulks wouold nout be outherly houappy aboot thouis.
Are you serious? That’s an evil thing to say. This site is supposed to be for baseball! Don’t mock Canadians, and we won’t mock you.
Mock us all.
“Canada Sucks.” – Peter Griffin
The long and the short and the tall?
We have ways of making you eat poutine.
@lautrec – that was amazing, eh!
Did the u and o buttons lock on your keyboard?
At least we don’t have Troump eh!
Trudeau is worse than Trump lmao. I mean what leader seriously allows his citizens to be fined and jailed for using wrong pronouns?
> jailed for using wrong pronouns
Malicious right-wing propaganda.
See the AFP fact check, “No, Canadians cannot be jailed or fined just for using the wrong gender pronoun”
Missed ‘eh’, Toulouse.
Hahahaha lautrec priceless.
The real hosers spell it coulour.
13yo need to watch some classic Canadian comedy like SCTV or Kids in the Hall to learn some sense of houmour eh
I believe that FO released Urena to actually give him an opportunity to catch on with another team. In retrospect it was a classy thing for FO to release Urena at that time, knowing that there were probably other moves in the future.
The backup SS is Gurriel? Sounds good. I guess.
Espinal could use at bats in Buffalo.
Tejada just did a happy dance at home.
Why didn’t the jays just keep Urena and release this guy and not sign Tejada?
I guess that would be logical.
Hey Jimmer, stop drinking the whine. Urena and Valera were on the 40 man roster. Tejeda is a minor league signing.
Under your “logical” scenario they would have to keep Urena and cut someone else.
This way they have Tejada and possibly Valera if no one claims him. They can add one of them, or any number of other guys who will be available (including possibly Urena) after spring training once they sort thru the zillion pitchers they have lined up.
His question was valid. If Tejada makes the team it would mean cutting someone else anyway, thus keeping Urena. A cutting is inevitable whether you keep Urena or have Tejada making the team. Or anyone else currently not on the 40-man who’s vying for the backup INF position.
Your logic, as usual, flawed.
Response to the question was also valid.
Urena out of options. Let him latch on elsewhere.
You still miss Dwight Smith don’t you?
Valera out of options. Same story.
Were they going to make the 26man roster?
Is Tejada likely to make the 26man? He doesn’t have to. The Sogard path may work again?
If Tejada makes the 40man it’s likely at Espinal’s expense. Or once an injury creates an opening.
If Bichette gets hurt, Tejada, Espinal, Urena, Valera, none of them would really save the day anyway. More likely to try Gurriel again in that scenario.
What’s the criticism about? Teach me please.
Filthy, I’ll answer one by one.
– I don’t miss Dwight Smith. Not sure why you asked.
– Urena was slated to be the backup INF. Now it could be Tejada which means yet ANOTHER 40-man transaction will happen. Thus, Jimmer’s comment and Ducey’s idiocy. Can’t assume injury although inevitably that will be the only way Tejada makes it without having to cut someone in the short-term. So yes, he would have made the 26-man.
– Whether Tejada makes it or not, Gurriel is currently the backup SS. If he isn’t good luck naming the viable backup on this current roster.
The criticism has layers; Ducey doesn’t seem to realize someone would have to be cut to facilitate any backup INF. Merryweather, Fisher or a trade could have kept the backup INF, whichever one the Jays felt comfortable keeping. Rolling the dice on an injury to open a spot is fine except a future transaction will be necessary. Ducey, not realizing it, decided criticize Jimmer out of hatred. You have been taught.
Sorry teach, I should’ve clarified the Dwight Smith comment was for jimmer.
I wonder if anybody was excited for Urena to be slated as the backup INF as part of the 26man? Perhaps using Gurriel as backup SS and using Drury as the other backup INF is seen as more efficient? Hate on Drury all day, but he still seems to have more potential to be a factor than Urena.
My main point is that it most likely won’t be Tejada until later in the season. Much like the path that Sogard took last year. Doesn’t hurt to have veteran options in the minors and to think Tejada could crack the opening day 26 seems very farfetched. Panik is more believable to me.
By the end of spring training, I’d be surprised to see Merriweather or Fisher around if they’re not excelling. Point may be moot in the end. But I can see the merit in having kept Urena around and cut someone else loose as jimmer suggested.
Thank you for some clarity with a bit less condescendence.
Drury has played a grand total of 48 innings at shortstop in his major league career. He is the right handed bat to replace Travis Shaw. Shaw isn’t a shortstop either. Neither is Joe Panik. They currently do not have a true backup infielder ready to play shortstop. Derek Fisher will receive an extended look and is playing for a starting role.
You are clearly overlooking Gurriel brotha.
Played over 500 innings at SS between Tor/Buf in 2018. Passable.
Got a few looks at SS in Buf when he was sent down in 2019.
Bichette didn’t seem to need a backup.
Blowouts or an injury to Bichette is the only time a SS is needed.
If he gets hurt, there isn’t an option available that would make a difference anyway.
Fisher will receive an extended look in spring but if his hitting and fielding aren’t looking strong, he may become a victim to the numbers crunch. Has no options, so this spring is do or die time for him. Alford too. One of them will not survive is my feeling. Possible even both.
Drury could possibly start the season in the minors as far as I can tell.
The fact that he got some looks at SS in MLB just last year makes me wonder if they’d give him a longer look at SS in AAA to start the season.
Lol. Not a chance.
Give him the audition at SS that Gurriel received and he might be a passable option as well. If he isn’t hitting in spring they’ll have to do something with him, no trade market and tough to cut a guy with remaining options. 40man crunch might hit him?
Lotta moving parts and options this season.
Best time of year! Go Jays.
Cut Fisher, keep Alford, keep Gurriel in LF or flip him and Grichuk because Gurriel has a better arm, have a real backup SS ready to go without moving a starting player out of their starting position.
Bichette is not a lock as a future SS. His D needs considerable improvement.
Who is this real backup SS? Beckham or Russell? Similar caliber likely available in-season if the need arises.
Crazy to think Bichette could improve his D?
Small rookie sample showed some range and some smarts that could play. As long as he can be average with the glove, his bat likely keeps him at short.
League average shortstop is not super strong on D, only so many Baez/Simmons types out there.
Iglesias seemed to go for the best chance to start.
Hechavarria might’ve been a fit if a 40man player was exposed but that’s hardly a difference maker.
I figured that the Jays were in the mix for Puig or another outfielder months ago. Now I’m not sure what they’re doing…eh?
Valera took some time to develop, but actually he’s a pretty good ball player—tool-wise. That’s why he bounces from organization to organization, because baseball people like what they see, they just don’t see him as an everyday guy.
Sign jose bautisa and puig