Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Vlad, September Call-Ups
Blue Jays fans cringed in collective fashion when both Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman exited Sunday’s game due to injuries. Chapman has already been placed on the injured list with a strain in his right hand, while Bichette was out of last night’s lineup due to the quad discomfort that forced him from the prior day’s contest. While the Jays termed his exit precautionary, Bichette underwent an MRI last night, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The team will presumably have an update on the star shortstop’s status today.
Toronto called up journeyman infielder Ernie Clement when Chapman hit the IL and went with him at shortstop and rookie Davis Schneider at third base in yesterday’s win over the Nationals. The 24-year-old Schneider has already popped five homers in his first 48 big league plate appearances, batting .425/.521/.875 in that tiny sample. Schneider has also fanned at a 29.2% rate and is sporting an outlandish .571 BABIP that he won’t sustain, but he’s nevertheless provided a jolt for the Toronto lineup. That arrangement could be in place a bit more regularly if Bichette misses time, although there’s room for the Jays to get creative.
One possibility that’s currently under consideration would be at least occasional time back at the hot corner for first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it seems. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports that while the Jays aren’t currently planning to start Guerrero at third base in Chapman’s absence, they’re open to using him there late in games as they make substitutions around the diamond. Guerrero has been taking grounders at the hot corner in recent days.
It’s also worth noting that the Jays will soon have two more roster spots to potentially add some depth with Chapman out at least 10 days and Bichette potentially sidelined as well. Rosters are set to expand from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1, which could clear a path for Toronto to tap further into its minor league system for reinforcements. Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic suggests that infielders Addison Barger, Orelvis Martinez and Spencer Horwitz could all be considered for a big league call when rosters expand.
Each of Barger, Martinez and Horowitz is already on the 40-man roster. The former two could benefit the Jays with their versatility, as that pair has experience at each of shortstop, third base and second base. Horwitz has played primarily first base and left field in his professional career.
FanGraphs currently ranks Barger as the game’s No. 36 overall prospect. He’s spent time on the injured list but has turned in a .257/.371/.414 slash in 65 Triple-A games since returning, walking at a hearty 14.6% clip against a 21.1% strikeout rate. He hit .308/.378/.555 between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A last year. Martinez landed on Baseball America’s top-100 list prior to the 2021 and 2022 seasons but saw his stock tumble with a rough year in Double-A last year. The 21-year-old, has bounced back to some extent this season, posting a combined .242/.344/.496 line between Double-A and Triple-A (including a .276/.355/.517 slash at the higher of those two levels). Horwitz went 2-for-8 with a pair of walks in a brief MLB debut earlier this season and has slashed .339/.450/.499 in 476 Triple-A plate appearances, walking (15.8%) more often than he’s struck out (15.1%) in the process.
Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman Exit With Injuries
The Blue Jays saw the entire left side of their starting infield exit today’s 7-10 loss against the Guardians with injuries this evening, as shortstop Bo Bichette left the game with right quad tightness while third baseman Matt Chapman departed with right middle finger inflammation, as relayed by The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath.
As things stand, it appears that Chapman’s injury is more serious than Bichette’s. As relayed by MLB.com, manager John Schneider told reporters that both players had been playing through the injuries they were removed over today. Schneider described Bichette’s removal from the game as precautionary. That’s an understandable decision, given the star shortstop just missed a couple of weeks with a right knee injury. Chapman’s ailment, on the other hand, is one Schneider notes that Chapman has been dealing with for “the past couple of weeks” after he jammed the finger while putting away a weight in the weight room. The issue was aggravated during an at-bat today, and Chapman will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. More details on both players’ situations seem likely to be available tomorrow.
Of course, even a short absence for either player could be devastating for Toronto. With today’s loss against the Guardians, the Jays are now playing .500 ball in July with a 12-12 record. Treading water this month has resulted in their record slipping to 71-60, 2.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot and just two games ahead of a Red Sox club they swept earlier in the month. Without Bichette and/or Chapman on the left side of the infield, things could get even more dire as Toronto looks to return to make consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since 2016 and just the third time in the organization’s history.
Both players have been key for the Jays this season. Bichette has been a stable force at the top of the club’s lineup with a .316/.346/.491 slash line in 113 games combined with strong defense at shortstop. Chapman, meanwhile, was the hottest player on the planet for the first six weeks of the season with a 1.004 OPS on May 10. While he’s cooled considerably since then, he remains perhaps the best defensive third baseman in the sport and has the power to be a threat even when in the midst of a slump.
In the event either player needs time off, the club seems likely to turn to a bench consisting of Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, and Davis Schneider. Biggio (90 wRC+) and Espinal (62 wRC+) have both struggled this season but have past success as regulars on their resume, while Schneider has just 40 plate appearances to his name in the majors but has made the most of them by slashing a sensational .424/.525/.848 in a part time role for Toronto this season.
Blue Jays Designate Paul DeJong For Assignment
The Blue Jays announced that shortstop Bo Bichette has been reinstated from the injured list, with fellow shortstop Paul DeJong designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
DeJong, 30, was only just acquired from the Cardinals at the deadline less than three weeks ago. Bichette had just suffered a knee injury and the club quickly struck a deal to get DeJong from the Cards to cover the shortstop position. Unfortunately, DeJong’s time as a Jay has been abysmal. He has just three hits in his 44 plate appearances, all singles, with no walks and 18 strikeouts in that stretch. Now that Bichette is healthy enough to rejoin the roster, DeJong has quickly been jettisoned.
It’s the latest downturn of an incredibly inconsistent career for DeJong. In 2017, his rookie season, he launched 25 home runs and slashed .285/.325/.532 for a wRC+ of 123. The Cardinals believed in him enough to sign him to a six-year, $26MM extension with a couple of club options. Unfortunately, his offense declined in each season after that, hitting a nadir in 2022. He struck out in a third of his plate appearances last year and finished with a batting line of .157/.245/.286, a season in which he was optioned to the minors for over two months.
He seemed to right the ship somewhat here in 2023. Prior to the trade, he had hit 13 home runs in 81 games. He was still striking out at a 28.4% clip but his .233/.297/.412 line translated to a wRC+ of 95. That means he was still 5% below league average but it was miles better than his wRC+ of 55 last year. It was also plenty passable for an above-average defender at shortstop, which is the consensus around DeJong.
It was a sensible shot for the Jays to take on short notice. With Bichette suffering his injury just days before the deadline, they quickly grabbed DeJong, sending minor league reliever Matt Svanson the other way. There is no replacing Bichette, who is one of the better shortstops in the league, but DeJong could have been a fine stopgap if he maintained his near-average offense and solid glovework. If he had done so, he may have even been moved to second base once Bichette was back, with Whit Merrifield capable of playing the outfield. But as mentioned, DeJong’s production absolutely cratered after switching jerseys and the Jays have decided to simply cut their losses.
With the deadline now passed, the Jays will put DeJong on waivers in the coming days. He’s virtually a lock to clear, given his struggles and contract. He’s making $9MM this year, with about $2.13MM still to be paid out and then a $2MM buyout on his 2024 option. At the time of the trade, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are covering the buyouts and half of DeJong’s remaining salary.
No club will want to take on that kind of salary for a player struggling as badly as DeJong. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and therefore seems bound to be released in the coming days. At that point, any club could sign him for the prorated league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the Cards and Jays are paying.
The Jays will now proceed with Bichette back at shortstop as a combination of Merrifield, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Davis Schneider covers second base. They currently sit half a game behind the Mariners for the final Wild Card spot with about six weeks left on the schedule.
Blue Jays Place Bo Bichette On IL With Right Patellar Tendinitis
The Blue Jays announced that they have placed shortstop Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 1, due to right patellar tendinitis. His roster spot will go to newly-acquired shortstop Paul DeJong, while the club also recalled right-hander Thomas Hatch and optioned righty Nate Pearson. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet relayed the details prior to the official announcement.
The Jays haven’t released any information about how long they expect Bichette to be out of action, but it will be a blow to the club regardless. He suffered the injury on Monday, pulling up after rounding first and trying to stop to go back to the bag. Yesterday, manager John Schneider said there was “no significant structural damage” and that the club was still deciding on an IL stint. It now seems they have made the call to let Bichette have at least a week-plus to rest his knee.
The fact that the IL stint was a tough decision perhaps indicates he’s in for a quick stay, but that will still be an unwelcome development for the club. Bichette is hitting .321/.352/.494 this year for a wRC+ of 135, the highest such mark among qualified shortstops this year. The Jays will have to proceed without that production for a little bit as they have some key divisional matchups. They have two more games against the Orioles, after dropping the first two of the four-game set, before heading to Fenway Park for three against the Red Sox. The Jays hold a Wild Card spot in the American League but Boston are just a game and a half back coming into today’s action.
For now, the Jays will try to proceed with DeJong in Bichette’s spot. He was just acquired from the Cardinals at yesterday’s deadline, likely spurred on by Bichette’s injury, and is in the lineup at shortstop tonight. He has bounced back from a really rough showing last year, when he hit .157/.245/.286 while striking out in 33.3% of his plate appearances. He’s dropped the strikeout rate to 28.4% this year while slashing .233/.297/.412. His wRC+ of 96 is still a bit below average but is miles better than his 55 wRC+ from last year.
Even with the bounceback, DeJong’s offensive numbers still pale in comparison to Bichette’s. DeJong’s glovework is generally considered stronger between the two, which should make up some of the difference, but it’s unquestionably a challenge for the Jays. Once Bichette is healthy, DeJong could perhaps move over to second base. Whit Merrifield is having a solid season but can also play left field.
“No Significant Structural Damage” For Bo Bichette Following Knee Injury
3:11pm: Bichette has “no significant structural damage,” according to manager John Schneider, with Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reporting. According to Nicholson-Smith, an “IL stint hasn’t been ruled out but [the] Jays will play it out for a few days first.” Based on this information, it appears the Blue Jays may have dodged a serious injury to Bichette. Nonetheless, earlier today they acquired Paul DeJong from the Cardinals.
9:45am: The Blue Jays expect to have more information about Bichette’s injury by noon ET, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN. That doesn’t guarantee they’ll publicly divulge anything at that point, but it’ll give them around six hours to search for alternatives if Bichette ends up missing time and the Jays feel it best to seek for help from outside the organization.
8:49am: Blue Jays star shortstop Bo Bichette suffered a right knee injury last night, and his prognosis figures to weigh heavily on the club’s trade deadline plans. In the third inning of the club’s eventual loss to Baltimore, Bichette hit a potential double down the right field line, rounding first and then slamming on the brakes when right fielder Anthony Santander got the ball in quickly. As you can see in the linked video, Bichette’s injury was significant enough that he gave himself up between first and second base. He was able to walk off the field on his own accord, but with a limp.
As The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath reported last night, the Jays are currently calling the injury “right knee discomfort.” It stands to reason the club might keep further information under wraps until after today’s 5pm central time trade deadline so as not to reduce their leverage in talks for some sort of help at shortstop. The Blue Jays currently hold the last wild card spot in the American League.
Bichette, the AL leader in batting average and hits, is irreplaceable. He’s rarely missed a game in the last three seasons, and was well on his way to a five-WAR season. Certainly Jays GM Ross Atkins cannot go out and find another player of Bichette’s caliber. Santiago Espinal replaced Bichette in the game and represents the short-term solution. MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson ran through the Jays’ Triple-A shortstop situation, which does not present a clear replacement.
Matheson throws out a pair of potentially-available names in Tim Anderson of the White Sox and Paul DeJong of the Cardinals. The Blue Jays and Cardinals already got together a couple days ago on the Jordan Hicks trade, and Atkins has suggested “bigger concepts” were discussed (Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reporting).
As McGrath put it, adding a right-handed bat to the lineup was already “a huge priority” for Toronto, but it’s possible adding a middle infielder could jump to the top of the list. The team has used Whit Merrifield, Espinal, and Cavan Biggio at second base, all of whom are capable of playing elsewhere on the diamond.
Plenty of middle infielders have already been on the move in the past week, including Jace Peterson, Nicky Lopez, Amed Rosario, and Kiké Hernandez. Most second basemen likely to be available are hitting quite poorly this year, such as Kolten Wong, Tony Kemp, and Aledmys Diaz. Elvis Andrus is capable of playing shortstop, but he too is struggling with the bat.
MLB Announces 2023 All-Star Rosters
The starters for the 2023 All-Star Game were already announced earlier this week, and today the league revealed the reserve selections and the pitching staffs for the National League and American League teams. Fan balloting determined the game’s starters, while the reserves and pitchers were picked by a combination of the player ballot and selections from the league office.
This won’t be the final list of players involved, as some more substitutions will be announced later for players who are injured or who have opted not to participate. Every team must have at least one player represented at the Midsummer Classic, and the starting pitchers for the game will be announced on July 10.
Of note, Shohei Ohtani will be in the game as both a DH and as a pitcher for the third consecutive season. The Braves led all teams with eight All-Stars, while the Rangers weren’t far behind with six players chosen. This year’s All-Star Game takes place in Seattle on July 11.
National League
- Catcher: Sean Murphy, Braves
- First Base: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
- Second Base: Luis Arraez, Marlins
- Third Base: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
- Shortstop: Orlando Arcia, Braves
- Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
- Outfield: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
- Outfield: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
- Designated Hitter: J.D. Martinez, Dodgers
- Pitchers: Alexis Diaz/Reds, Camilo Doval/Giants, Bryce Elder/Braves, Zac Gallen/Diamondbacks, Josiah Gray/Nationals, Josh Hader/Padres, Mitch Keller/Pirates, Clayton Kershaw/Dodgers, Justin Steele/Cubs, Spencer Strider/Braves, Marcus Stroman/Cubs, Devin Williams/Brewers
- Position Players: Ozzie Albies/Braves, Pete Alonso/Mets, Nick Castellanos/Phillies, Elias Diaz/Rockies, Lourdes Gurriel Jr./Diamondbacks, Matt Olson/Braves, Austin Riley/Braves, Will Smith/Dodgers, Jorge Soler/Marlins, Juan Soto/Padres, Dansby Swanson/Cubs
American League
- Catcher: Jonah Heim, Rangers
- First Base: Yandy Díaz, Rays
- Second Base: Marcus Semien, Rangers
- Third Base: Josh Jung, Rangers
- Shortstop: Corey Seager, Rangers
- Outfield: Randy Arozarena, Rays
- Outfield: Mike Trout, Angels
- Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees
- Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
- Pitchers: Felix Bautista/Orioles, Yennier Cano/Orioles, Emmanuel Clase/Guardians, Luis Castillo/Mariners, Gerrit Cole/Yankees, Nathan Eovaldi/Rangers, Kevin Gausman/Blue Jays, Sonny Gray/Twins, Kenley Jansen/Red Sox, Michael Lorenzen/Tigers, Shane McClanahan/Rays, Shohei Ohtani/Angels, Framber Valdez/Astros
- Position Players: Yordan Alvarez/Astros, Bo Bichette/Blue Jays, Adolis Garcia/Rangers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr./Blue Jays, Austin Hays/Orioles, Whit Merrifield/Blue Jays, Salvador Perez/Royals, Jose Ramirez/Guardians, Luis Robert Jr./White Sox, Brent Rooker/Athletics, Adley Rutschman/Orioles
Blue Jays Sign Bo Bichette To Three-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration
FEBRUARY 10: The Associated Press reports the specific financial breakdown. Bichette receives a $3.25MM signing bonus and a $2.85MM salary for the upcoming season, bringing his 2023 payout to $6.1MM. He’ll make $11MM in 2024 and $16.5MM in ’25. If Bichette wins an MVP in either of the first two seasons, his salary would escalate by $2.25MM for any future seasons. Future salaries would escalate by $1.25MM for a second or third place finish and by $250K for a fourth or fifth place tally.
FEBRUARY 9: The Blue Jays announced Thursday evening that star shortstop Bo Bichette has signed a three-year contract to buy out his remaining seasons of arbitration eligibility. The deal will not affect the team’s window of club control by delaying his path to free agency. Bichette, a Vayner Sports client, will reportedly be guaranteed $33.6MM over the three seasons with escalators that could eventually bring the total to $40.65MM.
Bichette debuted in the second half of the 2019 campaign and has spent the past three years as Toronto’s everyday shortstop. He has produced against big league pitching from day one, breaking into the majors with a .311/.358/.571 showing through 46 games as a rookie. Bichette hasn’t quite maintained that kind of pace over a full season but has posted well above-average offensive marks in every year of his career.
He reached arbitration for the first time this winter after surpassing the three-year service threshold during the summer. Bichette was slated to carry a career .297/.340/.491 line with 69 home runs, 239 runs batted in and 46 stolen bases through 393 MLB games into that process. The 2022 campaign was right in line with his career marks, as he hit .290/.333/.469 with 24 longballs, 93 RBI and 13 steals (albeit in 21 attempts). He has led the American League in hits in each of the past two seasons and finished in the top 15 in AL MVP balloting in both years.
Financial terms of the contract remain unreported. Bichette’s camp had filed for a $7.5MM salary last month, with the Jays countering at $5MM. The $2.5MM gap tied that between the Astros and outfielder Kyle Tucker — who are themselves discussing a potential multi-year deal — for the largest discrepancy between a team and player this offseason. That’s a moot point now, as the three-year pact overrides that and ensures the Jays and Bichette won’t go to an arbitration hearing at any time.
Bichette turns 25 next month and is still slated to hit free agency after the 2025 season — when he’ll be entering his age-28 campaign. It’s unclear whether the sides plan to engage in discussions on a more significant long-term pact that would alter the Jays’ window of club control this spring. Toronto brass has predictably spoken of a desire to explore such arrangements with their top young players (generally assumed to be Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alek Manoah) but isn’t facing pressing urgency to do so. Guerrero is also arbitration-eligible through 2025, while Manoah won’t reach arbitration until next offseason as a likely Super Two qualifier and isn’t going to hit free agency until after the 2027 campaign.
The Jays have now completed their arbitration work for the offseason. Bichette was the only of their 12 eligible players who didn’t agree to a deal prior to last month’s deadline for exchanging figures.
Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet first reported the Jays and Bichette had agreed to a multi-year deal to avoid arbitration and that a three-year pact had been under consideration. Joel Sherman of the New York Post confirmed the sides were in agreement on a three-year deal. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported the guarantee and potential maximum value.
Requested Salary Figures For 33 Players Who Didn’t Reach Agreements By Arbitration-Filing Deadline
January 13 was the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary figures in advance of possible hearings, and as usual, the large majority of players worked out one-year agreements (or extensions) for their 2023 salaries. MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker detailed these agreements, though there is still quite a bit of unfinished business, as 33 players still don’t have their deals settled, and thus their 2023 salaries could be determined by an arbiter.
Typically, arb hearings take place in February or March, yet there isn’t anything officially preventing a team from still reaching an agreement with a player up until the moment an arbiter makes their ruling. However, most clubs employ the “file and trial” strategy as a way of putting more pressure on players to accept agreements prior to the figure-exchange deadline. In short, once the deadline passes, teams head to hearings with no more negotiation about a one-year salary, though clubs are typically still willing to discuss multi-year extensions.
Here are the 33 players who have yet to reach an agreement on their 2023 salaries, as well as the players’ requested salary and the team’s counter-offer. As always, clubs (and the league as a whole) pay very close attention to arbitration salaries, since any outlier of a number can serve as a precedent in the future, thus raising the bar for both one particular players and perhaps players as a whole. This is why teams are generally adamant about the “file and trial” tactic and taking the risk of a sometimes-awkward arb hearing, even in cases where there is a relatively small gap between the club’s figure and the player’s figure.
[RELATED: Arbitration projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz]
Nineteen of the 30 teams have at least one unsettled case remaining, with the Rays (by far) leading the way with seven players on pace to reach hearings. Given that Tampa Bay entered the offseason with an enormous 19-player arbitration class, it perhaps isn’t surprising that the Rays still have a lot of work to do, even after trimming that initial class size with non-tenders and trades. Teoscar Hernandez’s $16MM is the largest figure submitted by any of the 33 players, while Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette have the largest gap between submitted figures, each with a $2.5MM difference between their hoped-for salaries and the numbers respectively submitted by the Astros and Blue Jays.
The total list (which will be updated as settlements are reached and hearing results become known)….
- Hunter Renfroe: $11.9MM in desired salary….Angels offered $11.25MM
- Gio Urshela: $10MM….Angels $8.4MM
- Luis Rengifo: $2.3MM….Angels $2MM
- Kyle Tucker: $7.5MM….Astros $5MM
- Cristian Javier: $3.5MM….Astros $3MM
- Bo Bichette: $7.5MM….Blue Jays $5MM
- Max Fried: $15MM….Braves $13.5MM
- Corbin Burnes: $10.75MM….Brewers $10.01MM
- Ryan Helsley: $3MM….Cardinals $2.15MM
- Genesis Cabrera: $1.15MM….Cardinals $950K
- Josh Rojas: $2.9MM….Diamondbacks $2.575MM
- Tony Gonsolin: $3.4MM….Dodgers $3MM
- Jon Berti: $2.3MM….Marlins $1.9MM
- Agreed to one-year, $2.125MM deal with 2024 club option
- Jesus Luzardo: $2.45MM….Marlins $2.1MM
- Teoscar Hernandez: $16MM….Mariners $14MM
- Diego Castillo: $3.225MM….Mariners $2.95MM
- Dylan Moore: $2.25MM….Mariners $1.9MM
- Jeff McNeil: $7.75MM….Mets $6.25MM
- Victor Robles: $2.6MM….Nationals $2.3MM
- Austin Voth: $2MM….Orioles $1.7MM
- Agreed to one-year, $1.85MM deal with 2024 club option
- Jose Alvarado: $3.7MM….Phillies $3.2MM
- Agreed to one-year, $3.45MM deal; later signed additional two-year, $18.55MM extension
- Seranthony Dominguez: $2.9MM….Phillies $2.1MM
- Ji-Man Choi: $5.4MM….Pirates $4.65MM
- Yandy Diaz: $6.3MM….Rays $5.5MM
- Jeffrey Springs: $3.55MM….Rays $2.7MM
- Harold Ramirez: $2.2MM….Rays $1.9MM
- Colin Poche: $1.3MM….Rays $1.175MM
- Pete Fairbanks: $1.9MM….Rays $1.5MM
- Ryan Thompson: $1.2MM….Rays $1MM
- Jason Adam: $1.775MM….Rays $1.55MM
- Brady Singer: $3.325MM….Royals $2.95MM
- Luis Arraez: $6.1MM….Twins $5MM
- Won hearing against Marlins (who acquired him in trade after figures were exchanged)
- Gleyber Torres: $10.2MM….Yankees $9.7MM
Dylan Cease Tops Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool
One of the big new additions to the collective bargaining agreement signed between the league and the players was the implementation of a $50MM bonus pool set aside for players with less than three years of league service time.
The pool would be handed out to the top 100 eligible players, with MLB’s WAR metric determining which players made the list. Beyond that, further bonuses could be earned for qualified players if they ranked in the top two of Rookie of the Year, top five in MVP or Cy Young, as well as being named in the first or second All-MLB team.
According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease topped the class in 2022, taking home a bonus of $2,457,426, in addition to his $750K base salary. Cease threw 184 innings of 2.20 ERA ball for Chicago this year, finishing 2nd in AL Cy Young voting. That finish earned him $1.75MM in addition to the $707,425 he earned for his WAR ranking. 2022 was Cease’s last pre-arbitration season, so he won’t be eligible for the bonus pool after the 2023 season.
The Astros’ Yordan Alvarez was the top hitter on the list, as he took home a $2,381,143 bonus. Alvarez torched pitching to the tune of a .306/.406/.613 line with 37 home runs, finishing third in AL MVP voting. He picked up $881,143 as the top ranked player via the WAR metric, and an additional $1.5MM for his MVP finish. He also won’t be eligible for the pool next season.
Here’s the top ten bonus pool earners (all of these figures are in addition to the player’s base salary):
- Dylan Cease: $2,457,426
- Yordan Alvarez: $2,381,143
- Alek Manoah: $2,191,023
- Zac Gallen: $1,670,875
- Julio Rodriguez: $1,550,850
- Michael Harris: $1,361,435
- Emmanuel Clase: $1,354,962
- Andres Gimenez: $1,308,805
- Adley Rutschman: $1,177,555
- Kyle Tucker: $1,146,555
Per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Atlanta’s Spencer Strider was the only other player to earn a bonus greater than $1MM, while four more players (Sean Murphy, Tommy Edman, Will Smith and Ryan Helsley) earned more than $700K, with another eleven players (Steven Kwan, Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk, Nestor Cortes, Logan Webb, Shane McClanahan, Cal Raleigh, Daulton Varsho, Nico Hoerner, Triston McKenzie and Tony Gonsolin) earned a bonus greater than $500K.
Each player’s team will pay out the bonuses by December 23, but they will be reimbursed by the Commissioner’s Office.
Ross Atkins Addresses Blue Jays Offseason
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins addressed reporters following the team’s playoff exit at the hands of the Mariners. With a manager still holding the interim tag, a young core that’s getting more and more expensive, and veterans dealing with injuries there’s plenty of question marks going into the offseason in Toronto.
Atkins didn’t make any firm commitments at manager just yet. Asked about the status of interim skipper John Schneider, Atkins noted that it would be “very difficult for us to find better than [him]” but cautioned he “wants more time to work through the (hiring) process” (via Julia Kreuz of MLB.com). The Jays fired Charlie Montoyo in July with the team 46-42. Schneider was handed the team through the end of the season, and the Jays went 46-28 with him at the helm. While the improvement under Schneider is evident, the team did still fall well short of expectations in the playoffs. Atkins and his front office staff certainly wouldn’t rule Schneider out because of two games, and there’d seem to be a good chance he’s retained, but he wasn’t prepared to make any move at this point.
On the playing side, Atkins seemed to indicate running back the current core to be the best path to a championship for the team. The GM both downplayed any urgency to make a core-altering trade and indicated the club had laid the groundwork in extension talks with some core players in hopes of further discussions this offseason (via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). Atkins didn’t divulge any specifics, but it stands to reason players like Alek Manoah, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette would fit into that group. Guerrero has three more seasons of arbitration control but is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $14.1MM next year after qualifying for early arbitration as a Super Two player in 2021. Bichette is projected for $6.1MM in his first year of eligibility and is likewise controllable through 2025. Manoah is controllable through 2027 and not yet arbitration eligible, although he’s likely to qualify for Super Two at the end of next season.
Atkins was non-committal on how active the Jays will be in free agency, but Nicholson-Smith mentions they’re expected to pursue starting pitching help. Kevin Gausman is a lock to lead the rotation, but Jose Berrios struggled to a 5.23 ERA in 2022, while Yusei Kikuchi pitched his way out of the rotation with a 5.19 ERA. Berrios will get a chance to turn things around in 2023, while Kikuchi is expected to get another crack at pitching out of the rotation next year. However, Ross Stripling is an impending free agent and Hyun Jin-Ryu will miss most, if not all, of next season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Atkins also addressed the status of George Springer, who left the Jays final playoff game after colliding with Bichette while pursuing a shallow fly ball. The Jays announced this morning that Springer had sustained a concussion and a strained left shoulder. Atkins indicated today that Springer also has a bone spur in his right elbow and could undergo offseason surgery (Nicholson-Smith). In any event, the expectation is that he’ll be ready for spring training, although given he’s 33 with a checkered injury past and declining defensive numbers it’s fair to wonder how long the Jays will count on him as an everyday center fielder.