Blue Jays: Players Electing MiLB Free Agency – 2018

A wave of Blue Jays minor leaguers recently elected free agency. Below is a summary of the most relevant of those players.

Source: MiLB.com

Juliandry Higuera

Left-handed pitcher Juliandry Higuera, 24, appeared in just one game for the Buffalo Bisons, spending most of his time with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League. He was originally signed by the Blue Jays as an international free agent in 2013.

Patrick Cantwell

Catcher Patrick Cantwell, who appeared in 45 games for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this season, has also elected free agency. He slashed a cumulative .276/.386/.433 with four home runs and 19 RBI. He has been in the organization since 2017.

Eduard Pinto

A former member of the Texas Rangers organization, Eduard Pinto, 24, appeared in 63 games for the Dunedin Blue Jays this season, slashing .308/.356/.410 with eight stolen bases and 15 doubles.

Juan Kelly

First baseman Juan Kelly, who smashed 23 home runs this year split between New Hampshire and Dunedin, has also elected free agency. Another international signing, Kelly, 24, previously logged time with Low-A Lansing Lugnuts and the Class-A Vancouver Canadians.

Alex Monsalve

A former member of the Cleveland Indians organization, Monsalve, 26, primarily played last season for the Fisher Cats and Bisons. For his minor league career, which began in 2009, he’s hit 25 home runs in just over 2000 at-bats.

Harold Ramirez

Perhaps the most notable minor leaguer electing free agency, Harold Ramirez, an important piece of the (first) Francisco Liriano trade, slashed a healthy .320/.365/.471 with the Fisher Cats, adding 37 doubles and 16 steals to his totals. He was not ranked on the list of the organization’s top prospects.

Andres Sotillo

Catcher Andres Sotillo, 24, played 38 games for the Lugnuts this season, previously appearing in games for the Canadians and Fisher Cats. He has played 230 minor league games since joining the organization in 2012.

Angel Perdomo

Angel Perdomo, who this season pitched to an ERA of 3.63 over 79.1 frames for the Dunedin Blue Jays, has elected free agency. Perhaps one of the most notable names in the group, he was ranked as the Blue Jays’ 29th best prospect last season on MLB Pipeline’s annual list.

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Emilio Guerrero

With no relation to Vladdy, Emilio Guerrero, 26, has appeared in over 540 games in the minor leagues since joining the organization in 2011. He has primarily logged time for the Fisher Cats and D-Jays.

Claudio Custodio

An infielder turned pitcher, Custodio, 28, was a member of the New York Yankees organization until 2016. This season, playing for the Lugnuts, he pitched to an ERA of 2.66 in 20.1 innings. He had previously played over 300 games as a position player.

Ivan Castillo

Another former Cleveland Indians farmhand, Ivan Castillo, 23, appeared in 108 games this season for the D-Jays, slashing .304/.345/.448 with eight stolen bases and eight triples. He had been playing professional baseball since 2012.

The above players, as well as the rest of the MiLB players electing free agency this past week, are free to sign with any organization of their choosing, though, as many have already noted, it’s common for them to return to the organization with which they were previously.