2016 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Depth: 3rd base

1 of 6

Toronto Blue Jays All-Star 3rd baseman Josh Donaldson has shown the ability to play 162 games, but who do the Blue Jays have on the farm ‘IF’ Josh Donaldson were lost for any amount of time?

The 2015 American League Most Valuable Player, Toronto Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson, has played 158 games the past three seasons for the Oakland A’s and Blue Jays.

Every Major League baseball team will carry at least one utility infielder on their 25-man roster. Last season, the Jays intended to use Ryan Goins in that capacity, but injuries to Jose Reyes, Devon Travis, and Troy Tulowitzki pushed Goins into more of an everyday role, providing other infielders in the Jays system an opportunity to contribute.

Reserve infielders such as Danny Valencia, Munenori Kawasaki, and Cliff Pennington provided Donaldson with days off from the field or full days off; however, Valencia is now with the Oakland A’s, Pennington is with the Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim, and Kawasaki remains unsigned.

There are utility/3rd base replacement options for the Blue Jays down on the farm, so let get to it.

Buffalo Bisons

Andy Burns 25-yrs-old

Burns is Rule 5 eligible and could be on the radar of teams looking for a cheap young versatile 3rd base after putting up decent numbers in Triple-A in 2015. Andy is now ranked as Toronto’s 21st Top Prospect.

Burns’ bat was above average, producing 112 wRC+ and .338 wOBA with the Bisons.

He doesn’t have the power many teams look for from the hot corner (.079) but his ability to play multiple positions makes him an excellent super utility player. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Andy played 56 games at 3rd with a 2.79 RangeFactor and .945 Fld%. Burns also played 46 games at 2nd, 8 games at SS, 13 games at 1st and 6 games in LF.

Overall, Burns hit .291/.350/.373 with a .723 OPS, 26 doubles, 5 home runs (career low), 46 RBI, 7.2 BB%, 13.1K%, and .335 BABIP.

Launching pad – Rule 5 draft pick up and will end up playing 2nd base somewhere.

Next: Anything cooking in New Hampshire?

Home/Toronto Blue Jays Prospects