Blue Jays: Ryan Goins designated for assignment by Royals

Former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ryan Goins was designated for assignment yesterday afternoon by the Kansas City Royals.

Ryan Goins was the odd man out as the Royals needed to open up a roster spot to activate Jorge Bonifacio from suspension. The utility infielder hit .226/.252/.313 with 26 hits and no home runs in 41 games for Kansas City while playing all three infield positions other than first base.

The 30-year-old latched on with the Royals this past offseason after spending his entire career in the Blue Jays organization. Goins hit .228/.275/.335 while providing excellent defence in parts of five seasons north of the border. In 2016, Goins tossed a scoreless inning of relief on Canada Day but then required a trip to the DL due to a forearm strain.

Goins was a 4th round selection by the Blue Jays in the 2009 amateur draft and sports a career 3.1 WAR in 489 games at the major league level. Last season, Goins was somewhat of an anomaly hitting .330 with 5 homers and 55 runs batted in with runners in scoring position while only hitting .237 on the year.

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The light hitting infielder may be better suited in the National League where he can be utilized as a defensive replacement and called upon to play small ball more frequently. Surprisingly, Marcus Stroman has yet to make a plea for the return of Goins on social media, the hurler did not shy away from expressing his displeasure when the Jays opted not to keep Goins in the fold this past offseason.

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At this stage of the game, Goins is a solid glove but fails to offer much offensively. Look for the veteran infielder to land a bench spot somewhere in the coming days. Surely his legion of followers along with the “Stro-Show” will all be vying for a return to Toronto, however, that is highly unlikely as the Jays begin their youth movement.