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Will Wagner

Padres Acquire Will Wagner

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The Padres announced that they have acquired infielder Will Wagner from the Blue Jays for minor league catcher Brandon Valenzuela.

Wagner made his MLB debut last season, and impressed by hitting .305/.337/.451 over his first 86 plate appearances in the Show.  The offense hasn’t been there this year, as Wagner has batted only .237/.336/.298 in 132 PA while playing mostly third and first base in part-time duty.

Wagner was primarily a second baseman in 2024 and throughout his minor league career, so he brings some multi-positional versatility to San Diego’s infield.  He is a left-handed hitter, adding to a bevy of lefty-swinging bats on the Padres’ current roster, but naturally there’s plenty in flux on what has been a very busy deadline day in San Diego.  It is very easy to imagine more moves taking place to further shake up the Friars’ 26-man roster, but Wagner also has three minor league options remaining, so the Padres could easily move him to Triple-A as depth.

Toronto’s infield situation was crowded enough that Wagner was something of a spare part.  With Daulton Varsho expected back from the injured list soon, Addison Barger or Davis Schneider could get more time in the infield.  Moving Wagner also opens up a 40-man roster spot for the Blue Jays, which could be a hint at more moves to come today.

The 24-year-old Valenzuela is in his seventh year of pro ball, and he has hit .229/.313/.387 over 374 PA with Double-A San Antonio this season.  This is his third straight season of Double-A action, as a 27-game stint in Triple-A last year saw Valenzuela struggle at the plate, and it was enough to convince the Padres to bump him down a level for more seasoning.  MLB Pipeline ranked Valenzuela as San Diego’s 26th-best minor league, noting that his hitting is his biggest question mark but his overall defense is very strong.

Blue Jays Reportedly Willing To Trade Major League Position Players

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The Blue Jays are first in the American League East and clear buyers ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that they are willing to trade from their position player depth, including guys who are currently on the big league roster or in Triple-A.

The Jays came into this year with a cluster of players on the roster who hadn’t yet taken hold as big league regulars. That group includes Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider, Joey Loperfido, Will Wagner, Leo Jiménez, Jonatan Clase, Alan Roden and Orelvis Martínez.

Every player in that group apart from Martínez has seen some big league time this year, some more than others. Barger has separated himself from the rest of the pack and established himself as a middle-of-the-order bat in Toronto’s lineup. He has 14 home runs, a .264/.316/.500 slash and 122 wRC+ this year. He hits from the left side while most of the club’s other everyday players are righties. He provides defensive versatility by moving between third base and right field. Presumably, the Jays wouldn’t let go of him without getting something massive in return.

The other players in that group have played smaller roles. Lukes has 257 plate appearances on the year but almost exclusively against righties, with just 28 of those coming against southpaws. He’s been good as a strong-side platoon guy, which has been great for the Jays with Daulton Varsho missing so much time this year. Schneider is also having a good year, though doing most of his damage against lefties.

Loperfido has a huge .341/.396/.500 slash line this year but in just 16 games, as he was only just recalled from the minors a few weeks ago. Wagner has a .236/.331/.302 line in 37 games, having also spent some time in the minors. Jiménez was playing well in the minors but has a .071/.133/.179 line in the big leagues.

Those guys are all currently on the big league roster. As noted by Bannon, both Varsho and Andrés Giménez are expected to return from the injured list soon, which will push a couple of those guys back down to Triple-A, where they would join Roden, Clase and Martínez. Roden has a massive .331/.423/.496 line for Buffalo but just a .204/.283/.306 slash for Toronto. Clase also has some decent Triple-A numbers but a big league line of just .210/.288/.300. Martínez is not having a good year but is not too far removed from being a top 100 prospect.

The Jays won’t be able to give playing time to all of these guys down the stretch, so it’s logical for the club to think about using some of that depth to add to the pitching staff. They are known to be looking for both rotation and bullpen upgrades. Many selling clubs, meanwhile, will be looking for upper level players who could be plugged right onto a big league roster. A team doing a long-term rebuild might prefer younger prospects but some clubs are looking to do a quick sell at the deadline before attempting to return to contention in 2026. It’s also possible a team looking to do a buy/sell hybrid, such as the Padres, might look to acquire some of these cheaper players in a win-now move.

Since these guys are controllable, the Jays would be subtracting from their long-term position player depth. But if they can work out a trade involving guys in this cluster, it could allow them to hang onto more highly-touted prospects who are further away from the big leagues, such as Arjun Nimmala or Trey Yesavage. They also don’t face huge roster turnover this coming offseason, as Bo Bichette is the only position player slated for free agency after this season.

Jiménez, Clase and Martínez are all slated to be out of options next year and haven’t fully established themselves as big league regulars, so the Jays might be especially motivated to move on from that group. Though of course, those players will have less trade value than some of the other guys who are putting up more impressive numbers or who still have more option years after this one.

The Jays are presumably evaluating various possibilities ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Bannon reported yesterday that the front office is “turning over every stone” in pursuit of bullpen additions. The Jays have also been connected to starting pitchers such as Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen and Mitch Keller.

Photo courtesy of Brian Fluharty, Imagn Images

Blue Jays Transfer Bowden Francis To 60-Day IL

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The Blue Jays announced today that infielder Will Wagner has been reinstated from the restricted list. Outfielder Alan Roden has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo as the corresponding active roster move. Right-hander Bowden Francis was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot.

Wagner landed on the restricted list just two days ago, as he stepped away from the team in order to attend is father Billy Wagner’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In that two-day interim, the Jays used his 40-man spot. Catcher Alejandro Kirk was placed on the seven-day concussion IL yesterday, with fellow catcher Ali Sánchez selected to the roster to replace him. That meant that another 40-man spot needed to be opened for Wagner’s return today.

Francis landed on the 15-day IL on June 15th, due to a right shoulder impingement. His 60-day count is retroactive to that date, so he can be reinstated in mid-August. He hasn’t yet begun a rehab assignment so it doesn’t seem like a near-term return to health is in the cards.

Photo courtesy of Orlando Ramirez, Imagn Images

Blue Jays Activate Daulton Varsho, Option Will Wagner

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The Blue Jays’ starting center fielder is back after a month on the injured list. Toronto announced today that Daulton Varsho has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list, where he’d spent the entire season while finishing off rehab from last September’s surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. The Jays optioned infielder Will Wagner to Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. On the pitching side of the roster, the Jays activated righty Casey Lawrence (whom they claimed from the Mariners over the weekend) and optioned right-hander Paxton Schultz to Buffalo.

Even with Varsho on the injured list, the Jays have gotten surprisingly strong production from the center field position in their lineup. Toronto center fielders have slashed a combined .311/.392/.478 this season. Each of Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes and George Springer has hit well while manning the position. Left field has been another story, however. Jays left fielders have posted an awful .180/.262/.247 slash overall. Alan Roden, Anthony Santander and Davis Schneider, in particular have struggled when they happen to be plugged into the left field slot in the lineup.

Varsho’s return should install him back in center on a regular basis. The former catcher is one of the spot’s premier outfield defenders, evidenced by gaudy marks of 39 Defensive Runs Saved and 25 Outs Above Average in only 1824 innings at the position. (His marks in the corners are similarly elite.) With Varsho in center and Springer in right on most days, the Blue Jays can turn left field over to a combination of Roden, Lukes, Santander, Straw and Addison Barger.

Speaking of Barger, he could be in for a larger run at third base now. Wagner, optioned to Triple-A today, has seen significant playing time at third base in a timeshare with Ernie Clement. Neither has hit well. Wagner has taken 68 turns at the plate and produced a .186/.284/.220 slash. His strikeout rate is basically average, and his 11.8% walk rate is excellent, but Wagner hasn’t made especially strong contact and has been quite prone to hitting the ball into the ground.

It’s only 68 plate appearances, but it’s a disappointing follow-up to last year’s .305/.337/.451 debut and this spring’s .256/.341/.410 output. Wagner will surely get future looks in the infield, be it as a regular at third base or in a utility capacity, but for now the second-generation 26-year-old will look to get back on track in the minors.

Toronto third basemen have combined to bat .204/.255/.235 on the young season. The resulting 42 wRC+ is tied with Milwaukee for worst in the majors. The righty-swinging Clement gets the nod at third base tonight versus Red Sox lefty Chris Sale, but with Wagner shipped out it would stand to reason that Barger could get a look as a left-handed complement. Clement is hitting just .219/.261/.266 overall this year, but in 25 plate appearances he’s torched lefties at a .421/.500/.579 clip.

If the Jays want to get creative at third base, they could slide Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over for an occasional look, as they did on 12 occasions last year, but that would only create a hole across the diamond. As it stands, the Jays need one of their in-house infield options to find something at the plate. In addition to the previously mentioned Wagner, Clement and Barger, former top prospect Orelvis Martinez has endured a brutal start in Buffalo, where he’s slashed .154/.247/.292 with a 39.7% strikeout rate in 73 plate appearances. To Martinez’s credit, he’s swinging a better bat of late, going 8-for-29 with a homer and three doubles in his past eight games (.276/.364/.483).

Blue Jays Notes: Wagner, Bichette

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The Blue Jays placed Will Wagner on the 60-day injured list yesterday, bringing his rookie season to an early close. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com tweets that the infielder will undergo a left knee scope tomorrow. It’s a minor arthroscopic procedure that is expected to prevent Wagner from participating in baseball activities for a month. He should have ample time to progress through most of the offseason and be ready for Spring Training.

Toronto acquired Wagner alongside Jake Bloss and Joey Loperfido in a strong trade package for rental starter Yusei Kikuchi. Wagner was in Triple-A with the Astros at the time of the trade. The Jays briefly sent him to their top affiliate before calling him up in mid-August. The lefty-hitting second baseman made a strong first impression, running a .305/.337/.451 slash with a pair of homers in 24 games.

Wagner had a very strong year in Triple-A to earn the MLB look. He combined for a .315/.432/.444 line through 355 minor league plate appearances. Wagner drew 59 walks while striking out just 37 times. Assuming the surgery rehab goes as planned, he could compete for the second base job in camp. Davis Schneider, Leo Jiménez and Ernie Clement should split the remaining time there this season.

On the other side of the infield, the Jays scratched Bo Bichette minutes before Wednesday’s loss to the Rangers. The shortstop suffered a contusion on his right middle finger. Manager John Schneider said after the game that Bichette was injured while taking grounders in pregame warm-ups (link via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). He’ll go for x-rays tomorrow.

Bichette just returned from the injured list on Tuesday. A calf strain had sidelined him since the middle of July. That was the second calf-related IL stint of what has been an extremely frustrating season. If he did suffer any kind of finger fracture, the Jays would presumably shut him down for the year. Bichette has appeared in 81 games and owns a career-worst .225/.277/.322 batting line.

Blue Jays Claim Nick Robertson

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4:10pm: The Jays have now made it official, announcing that they have claimed Robertson and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo. Infielder Will Wagner was placed on the 60-day injured list with left knee inflammation to open a 40-man roster spot. That also created an active roster spot for shortstop Bo Bichette, who has been reinstated from the 10-day IL, as expected. The Jays also placed outfielder Daulton Varsho on the 10-day IL with a right shoulder strain, retroactive to September 14, and recalled Steward Berroa in a corresponding move.

2:00pm: The Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Nick Robertson off waivers from the Angels, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams on X. The Halos had designated him for assignment a couple of days ago. The Jays have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make the claim official.

Robertson, 26, has a bit of major league experience with poor baseline results though more encouraging peripherals. He has pitched for the Dodgers, Red Sox and Cardinals over the past two seasons, with a 5.45 earned run average in 34 2/3 innings. His .386 batting average on balls in play and 65.1% strand rate are both on the unlucky side, while his 25.3% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate are both solid figures. His 4.12 FIP and 3.49 SIERA suggest he may be capable of posting better results than he has managed so far.

It’s a somewhat similar story in the minor leagues. From 2021 to the present, he has tossed 203 innings on the farm with a 4.39 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate, .326 BABIP, 66.6% strand rate and 4.01 FIP.

Despite the runs crossing the board, teams have clearly been intrigued by the encouraging strikeout to walk ratios. The Red Sox acquired him from the Dodgers in last summer’s trade that sent Enrique Hernández to Los Angeles. Just a few months later, the Cardinals acquired him from the Sox as part of the December 2023 deal that sent Tyler O’Neill to Boston.

Robertson only got limited big league action with the Cards this year, tossing 12 1/3 innings. He struck out 26.9% of batters faced and only walked 3.8% of them, but gave up three homers in that limited time. That and a .364 BABIP led to an 85.9% strand rate and 4.38 ERA in that time. In the minors, he tossed 21 2/3 innings but had control problems, an oddity for him, posting an uncharacteristic 15.7% walk rate.

The Cards put him on waivers just over a month ago, with the Angels putting in a claim. He was sent to Triple-A Salt Lake and tossed 13 innings there, striking out 25.8% of batters faced with a 12.1% walk rate, improved control from his previous Triple-A stint but still a bit worse than average. A .438 BABIP and 58.6% strand rate were once again culprits in a small sample, leading to a 6.92 ERA but 4.30 FIP. The Angels put him back on waivers just over a month after claiming him with the Jays now swooping in, bringing Robertson to the same city as his hockey namesake.

Perhaps the Jays feel the results will even out in time or maybe they have a plan to limit the damage that hitters are doing against Robertson. They don’t need to commit a major league roster spot to him, as he will still have another option season remaining after this one. For now, they can get a close-up look at him and see if they can find a way to translate those strong peripherals into better results. If things work out, he has less than a year of service time and can be cheaply retained well into the future.

The Toronto bullpen was undone by injuries and underperformance earlier in the year, with the club then subtracting from the group by trading Yimi García, Trevor Richards and Nate Pearson prior to the deadline. To compensate for the many absences from trades and injuries, they have been taking fliers on all sorts of relievers, having acquired Ryan Burr, Tommy Nance, José Cuas, Joel Kuhnel, Luis Frías, Yerry Rodríguez, Easton Lucas, Dillon Tate, Emmanuel Ramírez, Brett de Geus and now Robertson in waiver claims or small trades. Some of those guys have since lost their roster spots but the club is clearly willing to turn over any stone as they attempt to find paydirt.

Blue Jays Select Will Wagner

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The Blue Jays announced they have selected infielder Will Wagner to their roster, his first time cracking a big league roster. Infielder Luis De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in the corresponding move. @LoperBloss reported the Wagner move on X yesterday. After yesterday’s game, Julia Kreuz of MLB.com relayed on X that De Los Santos had been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. “They want to see some new players in the organization,” De Los Santos said. “But it’s OK. I’ll keep working, doing my part and I’m hoping to come back soon.” The Blue Jays had a vacancy on their 40-man roster but it is now full.

Wagner, 26, is the son of long-time closer Billy Wagner. The elder Wagner had spent much of his career with the Astros and it was that organization that drafted the younger Wagner, using an 18th-round selection on him in 2021. Houston flipped Wagner, outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-hander Jake Bloss to the Blue Jays in the recent trade that sent left Yusei Kikuchi the other way.

In his professional career, Wagner has continually put up solid numbers at the plate, though in a hit-over-power fashion. He has 1,273 minor plate appearances across multiple levels with just 25 home runs in that time. But he has only been punched out in 17.1% of those trips to the plate while drawing walks at a strong 13.9% clip. Despite the limited pop, his .297/.402/.441 combined batting line translates to a 125 wRC+, indicating he’s been 25% better than league average overall.

That includes strong work at the Triple-A level. He was promoted to the top minor league plateau in September of last year and has since slashed .337/.445/.465 for a 136 wRC+ in 383 plate appearances. There are only six home runs in there but he has walked more than he has been struck out by a hefty margin, drawing a free pass in 15.9% of his appearances compared to a 10.2% strikeout rate.

That quality plate discipline was enough for the Jays to target him in trade talks with the Astros and they will now promote him to the majors after giving him a seven-game close-up look at Triple-A Buffalo. Baseball America ranked him the #17 prospect in the Astros’ system coming into the year, complementing his hit tool but noting that he’s not a strong defender. He’s currently listed 25th in the Jays’ system at BA. In June, FanGraphs put him 26th in the Astros’ system and currently lists him 30th in Toronto’s organization.

The Jays are out of contention and using the remainder of the season to assess some current players and make decisions about how to tackle their offseason. The club plans to return to contention in 2025 and is currently giving playing time to young guys like Loperfido, Spencer Horwitz, Leo Jiménez, Addison Barger and now Wagner, seeing which positions are the most or least in need of addressing during the winter.

Wagner has played all three non-shortstop infield positions this year, though the Jays mostly have had him at second base since the trade. The Astros gave him a lot of playing time at first, but that might have been a reflection of that club’s struggles at that position, whereas Jose Altuve has the keystone locked up.

The Jays have been giving Horwitz a lot of time at second this year but could perhaps have him and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. split first base and designated hitter now that Justin Turner has been traded and is no longer in the DH spot. Or perhaps Wagner will see significant time as the DH since his glovework isn’t highly regarded. Guerrero has also been playing a bit of third base this year and could move over to that side of the diamond, with Jiménez and Ernie Clement also in the mix for some infield playing time. Barger and Davis Schneider can also play some infield, though the Jays have George Springer, Daulton Varsho and Loperfido getting regular playing time out there.

There are plenty of moving parts but there’s lots of versatility in the group, so manager John Schneider will probably spend the rest of the year rotating guys around and spreading out the opportunities so that the club can assess each of the players at the plate and in the field.

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