5:40 pm: Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic relays that the plan is for Zimmer to not report to the team until rosters expand on September 1. That means no corresponding move will be necessary.
2:05 pm: The Phillies announced that outfielder Bradley Zimmer has been claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. The Phils had designated him for assignment on the weekend. This is a reverse of a couple of weeks ago, when Zimmer was claimed from the Jays by the Phillies.
The Jays originally acquired Zimmer from the Guardians in April, largely using him as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. He got into 77 games for Toronto but made only 87 plate appearances, producing a .105/.209/.237 batting line in that time. At the deadline, the club traded for Whit Merrifield and later signed Jackie Bradley Jr., who had been released by the Red Sox.
Those acquisitions nudged Zimmer out of the outfield picture and onto the waiver wire, where he was grabbed by the Phillies. At the time, the Phils had placed Brandon Marsh on the IL and needed some help in center. When Marsh returned on the weekend, Zimmer was sent back to the waiver wire again after just nine games with the Phils.
The Blue Jays had an opening on their 40-man roster, meaning they don’t need to make an immediate corresponding move. However, Zimmer is out of options and will have to join the active roster. Once he reports to the team, the Jays will need to find a spot for him on the big league club.
He’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack
Of course.
LOL
Pretty much the same as when Hollywood had the studio system in place for their actors. If they didn’t have a movie to work on for them they “loaned out” actors to another studio. All the studio heads worked with one another.
Want to have an interesting experience?…….
Don’t follow MLB for 2 years. Then come back and find out who’s on what team. It’s a joke. As are all the comments about signing a guy for 3-5-7-11 years and thinking he’ll be with that team. Maybe 5% of players will play out their contract with the team…and many of those will be because another team won’t take their contract on. Most will be traded by mutual agreement with the FO / ownership and player…..no-trade-clauses not withstanding.
Is this an MLB problem? Most young talent will still be with their teams in 2 years. Even 4-5 years. Baseball may have less issues on this subject than other major sports
Why would I do that to myself Samuel?
Absolutely agree. If you think player movement in the MLB is an issue, look at the NBA. The veterans move around frequently.
Also, it has always been this way. Look at the Baseball Hall of Fame – how many players of the past stayed with the same team for their whole career? Doubt it’s even 50%.
Lol Jays
As a Jays fan all I can say is why?
They’re still paying the rent on his Toronto apartment so they figure why not?
Props to the guy who called this.
I was just thinking that. One poster definitely did call this.
I don’t know if I was the only one, but I was definitely one.
Are we sure that it wasn’t Bradley Zimmer himself?
Hey Blue Jays, thanks for letting us borrow your Bradley Zimmer!
Shatkins man
Lol I think they like him better than Whit. Me too hate to say. At least he can play cf and pinch run. Whit has become like a Joe Panik type. End of career. Quick erosion of skill.
Mercado 2.0
NO! Dear god NO! This man is worst hitter in the history of MLB. I can’t believe I’m gonna have to see his face again. The Phillies saw how awful he was after one week! What are they thinking?
The Phillies were looking for a reasonable fielder for a couple of weeks, until Harper and Marsh returned to the ML roster. The bat wasn’t the priority. Once Marsh returned, Zimmer was dead weight anyway.
Zimmer hit .250 in 16pa’s with a 2b….So st least he was off to a decent start, sustainable…?
I don’t know if I would call a .563 OPS and 57 OPS+ through 16 plate appearances a decent start, but it is much better than the .446 OPS and 28 OPS+ he had in his first stint in Toronto.
He actually hit well for the Phils, albeit in a very small sample size. Ironically, he had a few defensive blunders.
Teams have been cycling through defensive specialist/pinch runner types to hold spots at the end of their rosters until their regulars return from the IL. That’s how Billy Hamilton keeps finding work. The Mets just cycled through Deven Marrero and Yolmer Sanchez.
2 chances to receive a World Series ring although I think there is a better chance in Canada to receive that ring
Odds are against, but I’d be down for a 93 World Series rematch albeit with different results.
You CAN go home again. And if you’re a fringe Major League Baseball player, sometimes you can go home again after that.
All this means is that the Blue Jays won’t be winning anything this year despite all the false hopes. Same old same old executive behavior. The goal is to be competitive not win with Shapiro. That should be obvious by now.
Because this move is that reflective of an organization. SMH
It’s actually impressive how you can consistently have the worst Jays takes year in and year out. You must work like a mad man all off-season to stay this consistent.
It’s amazing. Sometimes you keep hoping the light bulb will click on when people realize that even the old August waiver wire deals can’t be made anymore. You’re not likely to grab a legitimate star at this time of the season. The only one possibly left as a free agent if he’s sufficiently recovered is Michael Conforto, but he’d have to sign somewhere by Wednesday.
Jimmer actually thinks Ohtani can be traded to the jays right now and could play in the playoffs for them. He just can’t understand what management is thinking. His scouteyez are crossed and confused.
I was really hoping the summer brothers would figure it out but alas they’ll be AAAA players forever
Reminds me a little of how Mini-Mart always seemed to be either joining or leaving Cleveland a few years back.
as a Canadian I want the jays to do well, but their season is already over lol
Because having to stay ahead of the Orioles is suuucch an impossible hill to climb? The Jays don’t have to be good to make the playoffs, and once they make the playoffs they just have to be lucky to be hot at the time.
That .105 batting average was just too tantalizing to pass up
It’s almost as though gms don’t look at batting average anymore. I’d love to see you fans get educated in real time by gms telling you just how useless batting average is in today’s baseball. All you peoples reactions would be priceless.
You’re right, I’m sure there are plenty of .105 hitters that are a hot commodity on the market in the winter.
This clown just loves Zimmer. My dog can see the guy can’t hit.
For missing out on Billy Hamilton they brought Zimmer back. To be fair to Zimmer though he did far better in the Phillies than in Toronto so maybe the Phillie hitting coaches saw something the Jays didn’t
Hopefully they showed him which end of the bat to hold and pointed out which direction to swing in, but I wouldn’t count on him remembering.
The difference in value between Zimmerman and Hamilton is completely negligible.
Especially since Zimmerman is retired
Roster will expand by 2 persons in a few days, so they will send a reliever down for a day or two then bring them back on 1 Sept. Or something along those lines.
Desperation says Jackie Bradley Jr and now Zimmer…
Have glove will travel.
…………..ok gotcha
Have Glove Will Travel reads the card of a man.
A knight without armor in a savage land.
His fast glove for hire heeds the calling wind.
A soldier of fortune is the man called Zimmer the man.
Zimmer the man, Zimmer the man,
Where do you roam?
Zimmer the man, Zimmer the man,
Far, far from home
He travels on to wherever he must.
A chess knight of silver is his badge of trust.
There are campfire legends that the hitters spin.
Of the man with the glove, of the man called Zimmer the man.
Zimmer the man, Zimmer the man,
Where do you roam?
Zimmer the man, Zimmer the man,
Far, far from home.
Far from home,
Far from home.
I wouldn’t compare you favorably to Robert Frost but you aren’t bad poet.
And of course Gunsmoke was on afterwards.
Lots of good memories of the first color tv in the neighborhood although these two shows were black and white.Bonanza was the first in color.
This is strange…really I could swear in the headline and article it states that “Bradley Zimmer has been claimed off waivers from the Phillies.” Peculiar.
Must be a practical joke or a misprint?
No way its real right
He’s horrible. Last time I seen him play he got thrown out pinch running. He can’t hit.