The Blue Jays are showing interest in outfielder Billy Hamilton, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Hamilton had been outrighted by the Marlins last week but rejected that assignment and elected free agency, as was his right as a player with more than three years of MLB service time.
Hamilton, 31, is a veteran who has appeared in each of the past ten MLB seasons. He’s never been a tremendous hitter, as evidenced by his career batting line of .239/.293/.326, but he’s long been one of the fastest players in the league, allowing him to provide value with baserunning and defense.
He began this year on a minor league deal with the Mariners, getting into 22 games with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers before triggering an opt-out clause and returning to free agency. He then landed with the Marlins on another minor league deal, getting selected to the big league club just over a week later. He spent just over a month with the Fish before getting outrighted last week.
He was largely used off the bench in that stint in the big leagues, getting into 20 games but making just 15 plate appearances. He hit a paltry .077/.143/.077 in that time, but stole seven bases without getting caught.
Despite the lackluster results with the bat, most contending teams will be interested in players like Hamilton. The ability to steal a base or make a difficult catch in a key moment can make a big difference in the later innings. With extra innings now beginning with a runner already on second base, having a speedy pinch runner on the bench arguably becomes even more important. With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 in September, it will become easier for a team to find space for a player of this ilk.
The Blue Jays recently made a switch in this area of their roster, signing Jackie Bradley Jr. after he was released by the Red Sox but then later designating Bradley Zimmer for assignment. Zimmer was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Phillies. As Davidi notes, the Jays have been focused on adding depth options, recently signing first baseman/outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo to a minor league deal. If they can get Hamilton to put pen to paper, it would add another layer of depth as the club gears up for the stretch run. Coming into tonight’s action, the Jays and Rays are tied for the second and third Wild Card spots in the American League, but with four teams within five games.
What about dee strange Gordon
I don’t know if its possible for a MLB team to roster both JBJ and Billy Hamilton at the same time
DFA’ing Zimmer then acquiring both JBJ and Hamilton is the definition of one step forward two steps back.
I’m guessing they just want Hamilton so he can be their Terrance Gore.
Then why DFA Zimmer? So you can get another sub-50 OPS+ hitter who’s only value is running and defense?
Yes. Both Zimmer and Hamilton can’t hit. But Zimmer can’t run. Every year playoff bound teams tend to pick up a guy who’s only utility is to run, Hence the Terrence Gore comp.
Maybe they were hoping Zimmer would clear waivers and they could outright him? Then their interest in Hamilton is likely to be more in the realm of minor league contract to replace the Zimmer layer of depth.
Zimmer can run, has great sprint speed, his problem is he just can’t steal many bases for some reason. Perhaps due to lack of experience from hardly ever being on base in his career.
He’s primarily a professional runner, could make a big difference in a close playoff game. Baserunning isn’t only about raw speed.
Yep. Dave Roberts, Quinton Berry, Terrence Gore, everyone wants a speedster for the postseason. Problem is it was a lot easier to stash them on the roster in September when the rosters expanded to 40 than it is to hide them on a 28 man roster
Yea, but if he’s still a good defensive replacement then the spot becomes a little easier. Not sure where Billy is at with OF metrics.
Ugh, carrying a player on a playoff roster purely for speed is ridiculous. Do you know the odds of that particular one extra base actually making a difference? It’s beyond minuscule. The odds of him pinch running at the right time, then taking a base that the other player wouldn’t, that base turning into a run, that run winning the game… it’s infinitesimal. A pinch hitter is a thousand times more likely to be actually valuable.
Given the changes to extra innings rules, I’d say it’s a lot more than miniscule.
Says the guy with zero baseball management experience
A pinch hitter is more valuable. And if you can pick up a hitter in August that no one else wants but who can also hit you’ve tapped a talent pipeline no one else knows about.
Not in the playoffs, where the rule doesn’t exist.
Nobody here has baseball management experience. A. It’s gonna be kinda useless around here if that’s a qualification for having an opinion. B. It’s a matter of basic math, no managerial experience required, but nice that you stopped by to try and shut down opinions, on what is basically a medium for opinions.
Well said cosmo
Not true. One time in a beer league I told a guy to tie his shoe. So respect my knowledge.
Well the Orioles could claim JBJ if he is DFA but that may be wishful thinking on my part
You aren’t an Os fan…. Do you even know the current Os of situation? Just wow……
Apparently, not!!!
But maybe you can help me see the light
I thought being vaccinated was weird, but Billy Hamilton? You’re taking a shot at someone who can outrun your doctors!
Where’s Waldo?
Where in the world is Carmen San Diego
What about Quintin Berry?
You mean Billy “Not Worth a Roster Spot” Hamilton ?
This is Mark Shapiro……
Piddling around with the little stuff; missing the big stuff; and having the players in the dugout wondering what’s going on…..and if they’re the one that can’t sit in a chair the next time the music stops.
The sentence adding depth and billy Hamilton do not belong together. He just isn’t good enough to be a major league player now
It’s beyond ridiculous at this point. You know who knows he isn’t worth a roster spot? Every team he’s ever been on already.
They could have had Happ but the B Jay’s were too cheap. Happ since the trade deadline has been on .
A few years ago I would like to have seen the Reds pick up Dee Gordon to go along with Billy Hamilton.
Hard pass…the improvements were supposed to occur earlier in the season for a reason
Stashing Hamilton in Buffalo makes sense. They don’t HAVE to bring him up on September 1 given the newish 28 player limitation (which I hate, it should be 30 with 14 pitchers). They can keep him on the AAA roster even after the season ends, and if it looks like it’s going to be close the last week of the season, bring him up for any extra innings games and send down their worst reliever.
Don’t the Jays have a younger version of him in AAA already with Malex Smith.
Im going to assume he’s doing very poorly considering he hasn’t had a sniff since spring training and we rostered Zimmer for over half the year
.077 u gotta be joking who would hire a player like that? Maybe Boston.
Every FO that considers Hamilton must think to themselves, “You know, if we could just get him to put the ball in play, he could create havoc on the bases, etc, etc.”. Two weeks later he’s DFAd for the umpteenth time, and another FO thinks, “If we could just get him to put the ball in play…….”
Yeah, by now, it’s beyond comprehension. Same for Jackie Bradley.
I’ve always wondered, why don’t every organization have 1 or 2 unproven players with speed/defense already.
The royals skill academy i think produced some players like this in the 70s 80s. Maybe they just don’t want to develop players with no hit tools. But my question is why not? Vs retreads with no upside.