Blue Jays Minor League Depth – Second Base

Sep 12, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins (17) throws out Tampa Bay Rays first baseman James Loney (not pictured) in the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

As we round the bases in the infield we get to second base as we continue our list on the Blue Jays minor league depth. We will continue to go through MLB ready talent, minor league reserves, break out candidates, bounce backs, and long shots.

The starting second base job for the Jays right now is best described as up for grabs. Whoever has the best spring training will win in this open competition. That is assuming a trade does not come out of no were and change this whole conversation. Rather than saying who will be starting at this position come opening day lets dive right into the list.

Toronto Blue Jays

MLB Ready Talent

–Ryan Goins– Defensive specialist

After spending time with the Jays the past two seasons and impressing with the glove Goins may be in the lead for the vacant second base job. Over his time with the Jays those two seasons he has played in a total of 89 games and has only committed 2 errors. That becomes even more impressive when I tell you that those 2 errors occurred in 352 chances. The only wish with Goins is that his bat would finally come around. In 314 major league at bats he has managed to scrape together a meager .213 batting average. Last season in the minors with Buffalo he showed signs of improvement. Posting a .284 average in 363 plate appearances looks a lot better than hanging out at the Mendoza line. The potential for him to hit may be there but for now the Jays will have to decide if they can afford to live with an offensive hole in their lineup. His above average glove boasts a plus 2 defensive runs saved rating which may make up for his lack of bat up to this point.

Toronto Blue Jays

–Steve Tolleson– Where do you need me?

Last season Tolleson put together a decent performance as the team’s utility player. He made appearances in 109 games last year and most of them were at second base or third. Tolleson made a few starts in the outfield and short last season due to injured players. Even pitched an inning during a blow out game where he only gave up 1 hit and managed to strike out someone. I feel sorry for that player. Playing solid defense only allowing 7 errors in the 109 games allowed him to stay on the field. His bat was not much better than any of our other options last season. He hit .253 with 3 home runs and 16 RBI. Not the kind of production I want to see from a player that has over 100 games under their belt for a season. I would expect Tolleson to fill the same utility role as last season.