Blue Jays signings: Get to know 2B David Adams

The Blue Jays included 2B David Adams in their Monday minor league signings, but he likely offers more positional value than talent projection.

Rounding out the Toronto Blue Jays minor league signings from Monday was second baseman David Adams. Earlier today we took an in-depth look at veteran first baseman Casey Kotchman and the young wildcard shortstop Jiovanni Mier. To round out the trio, second baseman David Adams is last on the docket.

Adams offers up the lowest level of intrigue from the three, but regardless, it’s valuable to establish a profile of each incoming member of the Blue Jays. Originally a 3rd round pick of the New York Yankees in 2008, Adams floated around the 20-to-25 range of the Yankees top prospect rankings between 2009 and 2012.

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He’s only seen one look at the MLB level in 2013, which did little to earn him another in the future. Over 43 games with the Yankees, Adams posted an ugly .193 average and struck out at an uncharacteristically high rate. Fun fact: prior to re-signing with the Yankees ahead of the 2013 season, he was briefly released by the organization to make room on the roster for our old friend Vernon Wells.

Adams saw the majority of his starts at 2nd base for the AA Jacksonville Suns (Miami Marlins affiliate) of the Southern League, but did see some notable time at both third base and first so there appears to be some positional value. At 6’1″, 205 pounds, Adams bats and throws right-handed.

The Distant Past:

Adams posted some very impressive offensive numbers at the University of Virginia, and he entered the Majors with the potential to develop a plus hit tool along with his excellent plate approach. In 2010, Baseball America awarded him the Best Strike Zone Discipline in the Yankees system.

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His pro career got a serviceable start at age 21 with the Staten Island Yankees of the New York-Pennsylvania at age 21, where he posted a .743 OPS over 67 games. The following 2009 season would help to establish Adams’ bat between A-ball and Hi-A, where he combined to produce a slash line of .286 / .373 / .443 over 132 games. He added 40 doubles, eight triples and seven home runs for 75 RBIs.

The moderate offensive success would continue in 2012 with the Trenton Thunder at age 25, where Adams posted an .834 OPS over 86 games with 23 doubles and eight home runs. Since that point, however, his bat has not risen above the level of “organizational filler”, which is where he could be headed in Toronto.

The Recent Past:

Adams saw his plate approach play a starring role in 2015 at the AA level, working 63 walks compared to 53 strikeouts, good for a .399 OBP on top of a .294 batting average. His extra-base power took a step back, strangely, but with Kotchman and Adams, the Blue Jays seem to have an eye on plate discipline and the on-base tool.

Defensively, Adams played a full-time utility role with 50 starts at second base, 29 starts at third base and 20 at first. He doesn’t offer a standout defensive tool, but is largely competent as he moves between these positions.

Next: Three infield prospects to keep an eye on in 2016...

What Adams Offers & Blue Jays Fit

His versatility will help to find him a role at the AA or AAA level, but Adams should obviously be left out of any MLB conversation. That being said, the Blue Jays are very thin at middle-infield depth among the upper levels of the minor leagues, especially with Jonathan Diaz, Munenori Kawasaki and Ryan Schimpf recently hitting free agency. His walk totals will be the stat worth monitoring, but barring disaster, Adams should exist quietly as top-level organizational filler.