Blue Jays: 10 Minor League Contract Targets

Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Maikel Cleto, RHP, 26 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): CHW in 2014
• Last played for (AAA): Charlotte International League, in 2015
• 2015 Stats (AAA): 51 IP / 31 H / 6 HR / 24 BB / 61 Ks / 3.00 ERA / 1.08 Whip

Signed by the Mets as an international FA in 2006, Cleto actually made his debut with the Cardinals in 2011. The Cards tried to get some performance from his live arm over 3 seasons but were unsuccessful in getting him to perform as well in the MLB as he did in the minors. The White Sox took over in 2014 and gave him a longer look (29 IP). What’s interesting is that, although he didn’t make it onto the club in 2015, the end of his 2014 season looked promising. He struck out all 3 batters he faced the last 2 times out and allowed only 4 ER over his last 13 appearances.

As you can see above, his AAA stats this season were stellar, so I’m a little dumbfounded as to why he wasn’t given a shot on the CHW as they struggled to get many of their RP going.

At 6’3″ 250 lbs, it’s possible that Cleto’s conditioning throws some coaches off and that they decide that what they see and what the results are shouldn’t be matching. Still, I believe that he could have some value as a depth right-handed RP for the Blue Jays in 2016.

Alfredo Aceves, RP, 32 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): NYY in 2014
• Last played for (other): Monterrey, Mexico in 2015
• 2015 Stats: 53 IP / 50 H / 7 HR / 13 BB / 25 Ks / 3.40 ERA / 1.19 Whip

For those who aren’t aware, the Blue Jays are actually the team that signed Aceves to an international FA contract in 2001. It took him 7 years to make it to The Show after that, with the Yankees, and everyone will remember him for the 25 saves he managed for the Red Sox in 2012.

The fact that he has experience closing is a huge asset. A bonus is that it happened in the A.L. East. The problem is that whatever he experienced in terms of pressure as a closer really seemed to throw his career off the rails. It all started in 2012 and is evident from the fact that he threw the same number of games in the 1st half and 2nd half and saw line against go from .238/.304/.350 to .271/.348/.497. He may have been slightly overused (69 GP, 74 IP), and everything went South from there.

As you can see from the stats above, however, he seems to have something sorted out. If he can show some poise in AAA for the Blue Jays he could become a decent depth piece to look to in a time of need. After all, his career line of .229/.301/.384 vs RHB could definitely come in handy.

Next: The next 2 names were involved in Doc trade and talks

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Justin De Fratus, RP, 28 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): PHI in 2015
• 2015 Stats (MLB): 61 GP / 80 IP / 92 H / 9 HR / 32 BB / 68 Ks / 5.51 ERA / 1.55 Whip
• 2014 Stats (MLB):  54 GP / 52.2 IP / 45 H / 4 HR / 12 BB / 49 Ks / 2.39 ERA / 1.08 Whip

Justin may not have been included in the trade that brought Roy Halladay to Philadelphia, but he was mentioned often in trade talks and rumours. The big righty is particularly tough on LHB as he’s held them to a .210/.308/.350 line over 257 AB. Also, it seems his pedestrian numbers vs RHB may be due to an abnormally high BABIP of .341.

Kyle Drabek, SP, 27 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): CHW in 2015
• Last played for (AAA): Charlotte, International League in 2015
• 2015 Stats (AAA): 24 GS / 137.1 IP / 125 H / 7 HR / 53 BB / 84 Ks / 3.47 ERA / 1.30 Whip

I always felt that Drabek should have become a reliever. If so, his nasty curveball would have been much more effective with a few more MPH on it and he’d actually become an MLB regular. As it is, the White Sox successfully got 137.1 IP out of him last year, and although his BB rate is still too high, they seemed to be fairly serviceable innings. A reunion with the Jays would be an interesting one, even if he didn’t begin the season in Toronto. Finishing what was started years ago could be something Kyle takes on as a challenge.

Next: The pitching portion end with the best option next

Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Volstad, SP, 29 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): PIT in 2015
• Last played for (AAA): Harrisburg, Eastern League (WAS)
• 2015 Stats: 27 GP / 155.2 IP / 159 H / 3 HR / 43 BB / 97 Ks / 3.18 ERA / 1.30 Whip

Now, if I’m Tony LaCava and I know the budget I have to work with is limited, this is one of the first guys I target on the minors free agent market. He could provide you with a ton of innings if required, and actually performed fairly well during inter-league play over his career with an even 4 ERA and 1.389 Whip. This included wins during his only appearances against the Yankees and Red Sox.

Looking at his peripherals from the 2015 season, he has come a long way and although he isn’t going to rack up the Ks, he can provide quality innings without giving up many HRs (only 3 given up over 155.2 IP last season). That should provide the Manager some time to pull the plug on him if he struggles on any given outing.

 Carlos Triunfel, INF, 25 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): LAD in 2014
• Last played for (AAA): Harrisburg, Eastern League (WAS)
• 2015 Stats: 314 AB / 83 H / 27 XBH / 33 RBI / 3 SB / .264 / .287 / .398

Triunfel should be a familiar name for those who take part in Fantasy Baseball. He was a popular pick years ago as an up-and-coming SS for the Mariners, but has fallen off the map since. He got a shot for a short stint with the Dodgers in 2014, but toiled in AAA last season, trying to find his bat.

While the stats listed above look fairly pedestrian on the surface, I’d like to point out that he hit .310/.332/.452 against RHP with 19 extra-base hits in 192 AB. That’s a very decent line for a middle-infielder. He’d be a pretty decent utility player as he’s capable of playing 2B, SS, and 3B, although his bat seems to come alive most when he plays 2B (.319/.333/.493) and least when he plays 3B (.218/.240/.386).

I was a big fan of having Ryan Schimpf as a backup infielder because his bat played up so much and I would have liked to see him get a shot in The Show with the Jays. But with his being a free agent now,  if we can’t bring him back I’d like to see the Jays add a quality utility type like Triunfel to provide depth in case of injuries and/or trades.

Next: A couple of great depth pieces next

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Xavier Avery, LF/CF/RF, LHB, 25 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): BAL in 2012
• Last played for (AAA): 3 teams in 2015
• 2015 Stats: 476 AB / 134 H / 32 XBH / 52 RBI / 19 SB / .282 / .343 / .382

I’m positive Xavier will find a new home fairly quickly this offseason and could feasibly earn a spot on the bench in spring training if he lands on the right team. Unfortunately for him, the competition in Toronto is fierce in the OF and unless a trade is made, he’d have a hard time finding his way on the opening day roster. However, his speed and ability to cover all 3 OF positions should entice the Jays to make him a fair offer and to make him the depth piece behind Kevin Pillar for CF. Still reaching his prime, Avery could surprise many with a breakout season and has the tools to do so.

Brandon Allen, 1B/DH, LHB, 29 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): TB in 2012
• 2015 Stats (AAA): 406 AB / 111 H / 48 XBH / 68 RBI / 4 SB / .273 / .350 / .478

Allen will be on many radars this offseason, and I know what you’re thinking, the Jays already have a ton of depth on their roster. In fact, with Devon Travis and Michael Saunders coming back into the fold, something’s gotta give on the 1B front because the Jays can’t carry Chris Colabello, Edwin Encarnacion, and Justin Smoak. They’re likely going to have to deal one and therefore adding someone of high caliber in AAA may be a necessity to act as depth for the team.

Next: The last two are two great reclamation projects

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Domonic Brown, LF/CF/RF, LHB, 28 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): PHI in 2015
• 2015 Stats (MLB): 189 AB / 43 H / 12 XBH / 25 RBI / 19 SB / .228 / .284 / .349

Because he will be seen as the perfect reclamation project, he will have no shortage of suitors this offseason. Just about every team wants and needs OF depth and there’s a very good chance that Brown will have to earn his playing time once he does latch on somewhere.

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It’s hard to peg down what happened to Brown as he went from a sure-fire prospect to a player that had no value whatsoever on the trade market. It was only in 2013 that he hit 27 HRs, drove in 83 runs, and managed a decent .272/.324/.494 line and 2.5 WAR. From then on, it was all downhill for the youngster.

However, I attribute the slide to the pressure he was under as they wanted him to become a middle-of-the-order bat. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard led MLB with 190 strike outs, and it only added to the pressure he faced. They revamped some of the things he did at the plate, and it didn’t work out. While the changes he made in 2013 worked to his advantage, he seemed completely lost in 2014 and 2015 and may have “thought” about hitting too much instead of getting back to basics.

If I’m the Blue Jays, I take a big shot on Brown. First and foremost, he has the talent. That’s a guarantee. Next, I believe that the influence of big hitters on the team and the approach they have at the plate could do wonders for him. With the vast majority of his HR coming against RHP (46 of 54), he could be used in a platoon role to rebuild his confidence, even if I do believe he could eventually regain his confidence vs both LHP and RHP.

Finally, the Jays need a LHB in the lineup or on the bench. If Michael Saunders can make that happen for 2016, Brown would be nice insurance and the competition between the two could get the best out of each of them. Meanwhile, Brown could be attracted to the possibility of hitting in a very powerful Jays lineup, where he would have less pressure and would likely see more fastballs.

Travis Snider, LF, LHB, 27 yrs old

• Last played for (MLB): BAL and PIT in 2015
• 2015 Stats (MLB): 237 AB / 55 H / 18 XBH / 28 RBI / 1 SB / .232 / .313 / .350

It’s time to bring the kid home and see if he can be the power LHB off the bench the Jays can call on to change the course of a game. If they Jays can’t get Brown to come to Buffalo – or Toronto’s bench – they should target Travis Snider next. His power potential, if he ever figures it out, is very high and he could very well blossom into a power hitting machine before he hits 30. I know it’s unlikely, but I love to dream about it happening.

As recently as 2014 Snider provided the Bucs with a 2.1 WAR performance while playing 140 games for them. He had a decent 29 extra base hits in 322 AB and had a pretty even split of RF and LF use. Still, he has decent stats playing at Rogers Centre (.266/.324/.466 with 48 XBH in 480 AB) and may be able to improve on those now that he’s a more matured hitter.

I’m not sure how Lunchbox feels about returning to Toronto, but I’d be a huge fan of it. Just imagine him walking up to the plate off the bench in a playoff series at Rogers Centre…..

Next: Blue Jays Free Agent Target: Jordan Zimmermann

In 2015, the Blue Jays had veteran players like Luke Scott, Alex Hassan, Chris Dickerson, and Caleb Gindl in AAA, ready to fill in should they be required. As it was, the Jays were remarkably healthy overall, so they didn’t get the call and wound up spending the entire season in the minors. However, the Jays need to play it smart each year and do the same in order to protect against an unlucky rash of injuries.

Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins are two prime examples of guys who were depth pieces within AAA in 2014 and got their chance to prove they belonged once they got the call. On the pitching side, guys like Rob Rasmussen, Liam Hendriks, and Todd Redmond have played the same role, earning innings by doing the work in AAA.

If the Jays are going to have insurance for their roster in 2016, I’d like them to take a long look at some or all of the guys listed above. They each have skills that can provide them with the insurance they need at various positions.

We’ll see if any of these wind up being a fit. Do you have any ideas or favourites? Let us know in the comments!