Blue Jays: What to do with Ryan Goins

Veteran utility man, Ryan Goins has been playing some of the best baseball of his career over the last few weeks, filling in admirably for the injured Troy Tulowitzki.

Despite the fact that the Blue Jays’ disabled list is reading like their starting lineup card, the club won another series on Wednesday night on the strength of a walk-off victory against the Cleveland Indians. Last night’s game was the rubber match in the return of Edwin Encarnacion, and the Blue Jays’ patched together lineup came through for another win, moving their record to 13-21.

With the likes of Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin, and Kendrys Morales missing from the batting lineup, the Blue Jays have been very fortunate to receive solid play from their depth players. Darwin Barney, Chris Coghlan, and especially Ryan Goins have been playing great as they’ve received regular playing time, contributing on both sides of the ball and helping keep the boat on the water while the injured stars watch from the sidelines.

In Goins’ case, he was close to being designated for assignment or traded at the start of the year, but the club elected to keep him around in favour of Melvin Upton for the 25th roster spot. The decision has paid off in spades, as Goins has been needed with the mounting injuries, and he’s played quite well well to boot.

Troy Tulowitzki is expected to be the first position player to return from the DL, hopefully coming back next week. With his return, the question becomes, what should the Blue Jays do with Ryan Goins? We’ll take a look at a few options, from likely, to not so much.