Ex-Blue Jays: Where are they now?

These former Blue Jays, both loved and hated, find themselves in various jobs across the MLB as the 2017 season launches.

Baseball is a business and it often has a high turnover rate. Beloved fan favourites are shipped to teams on the other side of the country on a regular basis. Fans and teammates hold their breath as the Trade Deadline nears or Free Agency begins, hoping that their favourites survive.

When all is said and done, fans follow their ex-Toronto Blue Jays with keen interest in how their career develops — whether hoping for success or a quick dropoff after leaving Toronto.

According to my rough research, there are 35 ex-Blue Jays on 40-man rosters to start this season, including a couple that were only in Toronto’s system and never on the big-league club.

I’ve put together the top 10 of those 35 and chosen them based on players the Jays’ fan base felt a lot about, whether because they were indeed fan favourites or because Toronto front office held on to them just a bit too long.

10. Ben Revere — Los Angeles Angels

Ben Revere played just 56 games with the Blue Jays in 2015 after Toronto acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies for a pair of minor leagues. However, he quickly became a spark plug atop the order with a batting average of .319 and a .354 OBP. He only stole seven bases, however, after swiping 24 in 96 games with the Phillies.

Still, his energy and ability to get base hits made him a worthy bat in the lineup. Revere’s defence left something to be desired, though, with his -4 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. His speed didn’t translate into defensive ability the way you would hope it would.

Some criticized the Blue Jays trading Revere to Washington, because Michael Saunders had not as of yet made an impact with Toronto due to injury. But an All-Star first half by the Canadian — despite his second-half collapse — dispelled those critics quickly.

After a down year with Washington last year (.217 AVG/.260 OBP/14 SB), Revere signed a $4M, one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels, where he is projected to be a fourth outfielder/platoon left fielder. There were some discussions and rumours around the idea of Revere returning to the Blue Jays this offseason, but he ultimately signed in Anaheim.

9. Jose Reyes — New York Mets

It’s all come full circle for Jose Reyes, who is back with the New York Mets for a second season after beginning his career with them.

Joining the Blue Jays in the infamous 2012 offseason after just one year with the Miami Marlins, Reyes battled injury in his first season but posted quite a strong 2014 season, posting a 3.2 WAR in the process, his best since 2011 (4.7).

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But Reyes was included in the Troy Tulowitzki deal at the Trade Deadline in 2015, but that would turn out to be the least of his problems. He was arrested in Hawaii in October 2015 for allegedly assaulting his wife, a case that would ultimately be dismissed in March 2016 because his wife was no longer cooperating as a witness.

Still, it derailed his baseball career. Reyes had played a dismal 47 games with the Colorado Rockies, but the MLB placed Reyes on paid administrative leave from February 2016 until the season began, then was suspended until May 31, a period of 51 games. On June 15, the Rockies released Reyes, still on the hook for much of his salary. The Mets signed him on June 25.

The shortstop battled through 60 games with New York last season, but in his age 34 season, not a lot should be expected of him. His best days are behind him, but he can still contribute.

7. Adam Lind — Washington Nationals

Ah, Adam Lind, the lovable slugger. Now 33, the best years of Lind’s career are behind him — and those best years all came with the Toronto Blue Jays, who drafted him in 2004 and waited patiently as he developed. He finally broke out in 2009, and did he ever. Between him and Aaron Hill, who both won Silver Sluggers that year, the Blue Jays infield was potent. Lind finished 15th in MVP voting that year, thanks to some outstanding numbers, but he never came close to that kind of production again.

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Lind’s strengths have always been raw power and a high on-base percentage, largely due to lots of walks. The Blue Jays finally parted with him after 10 years in their system in November 2014 by trading him straight up for Marco Estrada. Although it was sad to see the longtime Jay go, it was a great deal for Toronto who have reaped the benefits with Estrada, who started Opening Day this year.

Over the last two seasons, Lind has hit 20 homers and been a good run-producer, although he struggled in most other ways with Seattle last year. The Nationals signed him for 2017, with an option for 2018. He rewarded them as a pinch-hitter in game one with a go-ahead two-run homerun and should continue to be a good power bat off the bench or platooning at first base.

6. Dustin McGowan — Miami Marlins

I included Dustin McGowan on this list because he was one of my favourite Blue Jays and he has toiled long and hard to still contribute to an MLB team. McGowan enters his second season with the Miami Marlins after a posting a strong season out of the bullpen last year.

Pitching in a career-high 55 games in 2016, McGowan crafted an ERA of 2.82 with a WHIP of 1.22 and 63 strikeouts in 67 innings.

The Blue Jays drafted McGowan way back in the 2000 amateur draft, in the 33rd round. He wouldn’t make his big-league debut until 2005, and he endured an up-and-down next four years as a starter, sometimes bouncing between the majors and minors. He did show some spectacular stuff at times, specifically on June 24, 2007 when he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies.

But injuries majorly stunted McGowan’s career. He was set back with various injuries from July 2008 until finally pitching in a game again in September 2011, but the Blue Jays stood by him through it all. He also missed the 2012 season with injuries. After a good stint in the bullpen in 2013, McGowan attempted to move back into a starter’s role in 2014, a job he won out of Spring Training. However, he would be moved back to the bullpen in May and Toronto made him a free agent at the end of the season, ending a 14-year run with McGowan.

After a rough year with Philadelphia in 2015, he found some success with Miami last year.

5. Brett Lawrie — Free Agent

Brett Lawrie is spending a lot of time at home these days. Hey, he’s even taken up some dancing.

In the Instagram post published on March 27, he said “Still continuing to be me throughout the hardest time of my existence.”

The hardest times he is almost certainly speaking of is unemployment after being released by the Chicago White Sox on March 3.

Brought to Toronto from Milwaukee via the Shaun Marcum trade, Lawrie quickly became a fan favourite due to his fiery passion for the game. It’s also what made him a controversial player. Beset by various injuries, Lawrie never put it all together with the Blue Jays, although he gave glimpses of what he was capable of, posting a WAR of 4.5 in 2012.

Lawrie was also a defensive delight to watch at third base. Although he would sometimes be a bit inconsistent with his throws to first, not much got past him at the hot corner. In 2012, he was credited with 20 defensive runs saved, a number he has not come close to matching since.

Toronto eventually traded him to the Oakland Athletics in November 2014 in a deal that will live in Blue Jays infamy, as the Canadian team shipped Lawrie, Kendall Graveman, Franklin Barreto and Sean Nolin to Oakland for Josh Donaldson, who would win an MVP the following season.

After a decent year with Oakland in 2015, Lawrie was traded to the White Sox, where he battled through more injuries and only played in 94 games. Still not 100 per cent, Chicago released him this spring. The Blue Jays, among other teams, expressed interest in him but Lawrie has chosen not to sign with any team until he is totally healthy.

4. Michael Saunders — Philadelphia Phillies

The second Canadian on this list is Michael Saunders, himself a native of Victoria, British Columbia. Saunders joins the Philadelphia Phillies after two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, although it was only 149 games altogether due to a freak injury incurred in Spring Training 2015 when he stepped on a sprinkler in the outfield.

His 2016 season was an up-and-down one for Saunders, a tale of two seasons almost. In the first half, he was on fire, being voting in as an All-Star via the Final Vote. The second half was a different story, as Saunders majorly struggled, with just 15 extra-base hits, contrasted to 43 in the first half. He hit just .178 after the All-Star break, but despite all that, he still set several career highs, including homeruns (24) and doubles (32) and he tied career highs in RBIs (57) and triples (3).

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Saunders had conversations with the Blue Jays after the season, but they did not extend him the $17.2 million qualifying offer, hoping to sign him to a lesser salary. He ultimately signed a one-year, $9-million contract with Philadelphia, with an $11-million option for 2018.

In his first game with the Phillies, he went one-for-three with an RBI double.

3. R.A. Dickey — Atlanta Braves

Of all the players on this list, R.A. Dickey may have been the most controversial. The former NL Cy Young winner was either loved by fiercely-loyal fans or disparaged as the most inconsistent old man on the mound.

Now 42-years-old, Dickey joined the Atlanta Braves for the 2017 season, with a team option for 2018.

For four years, Dickey laboured through inconsistent first halves and strong post-All Star numbers that all put together weren’t terrible (49-52, 4.05 ERA, 6 CG, 1.25 WHIP). He pitched more than 200 innings in three of the four seasons but he probably didn’t meet early expectations and that’s probably why there was so much controversy about him.

He was acquired in a deal with the New York Mets after he had a great season, winning the Cy Young and getting some MVP votes. The Blue Jays traded their current catcher (John Buck), catcher of the future (Travis D’Arnaud) and one of their top pitching prospects (Noah Syndergaard) in the deal. It’s Syndergaard that still haunts Jays fans and creates the animosity. He is now an All-Star with the Mets and has posted some great numbers to start his career: 23-16, 2.89, 384 SO).

Still, Dickey didn’t battle any injuries and he gave the Jays a good chance to win every time he took the mound. Maybe he’ll find some of that old magic back in the National League. If Bartolo Colon can do it, he can do it?

2. Brett Cecil — St. Louis Cardinals

Brett Cecil looks good in red, but he looked better in blue. The lefty specialist cashed in during free agency, thanks to four great seasons out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen. The former first-round pick of Toronto is now a St. Louis Cardinal after signing a four-year/$30.5 million deal over the winter.

The loss of Cecil was big for Toronto’s bullpen, leaving them with only Aaron Loup as a lefty specialist at the time, and that’s not saying a whole lot.

Cecil had been with the Blue Jays since 2007, first as a starter — he won 15 games in 2010 — but he really found his niche in Toronto’s bullpen, becoming a favourite of John Gibbons from 2013-2016. He had a tendency to start slow but finish very strong.

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In 2013, Cecil set the Blue Jays record for facing the most consecutive batters without allowing a hit, at 43 straight batters. He was named to the All-Star team that year.

1. Edwin Encarnacion — Cleveland Indians

The batting stance looks familiar, but it still hurts to see Edwin Encarnacion in that jersey, especially that jersey.

EE will now walk the parrot as a Cleveland Indian. In fact, he already has as he homered in his season debut for the Tribe.

Discarded by the Cincinnati Reds, the Blue Jays acquired EE as a necessary piece to trade Scott Rolen for Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart. After Oakland picked him up on waivers and then was granted free agency, he signed with Toronto and made a little history in the process.

Encarnacion was a huge part of the Blue Jays success the past five seasons, breaking out in 2012 with 42 HR and 110 RBI and he never looked back. The mild-mannered Dominican was a three-time All Star and finished in the top 15 in MVP voting four times. He leaves the Blue Jays third in franchise HR (239), sixth in RBIs (679), fourth in slugging percentage (.522) and OPS (.878). He ended one game shy of 1,000 in a Toronto uniform, but certainly one of the most productive.

Some will wish him well in Cleveland, and some will lump in with the rest of the Indians, with whom the Blue Jays fans have no love lost. Either way, Encarnacion will be doing what he does best for the next three years at Progressive Field.

He returns to the Rogers Centre from May 8-10, where he’s certain to get a mixture of boos and cheers, but I’m sure the ovation will rise above, even if we will cry when he hammers a classic long ball to left-centre field…. for the opposing team.

Next: Blue Jays' Stroman just the pitcher to stop the slide