The many links between the Blue Jays and Giants

The Leftovers – Nori Aoki, Brad Penny and Cole Gillespie

Though only a Blue Jay for 12 games, Japanese outfielder Nori Aoki did manage to smash three home runs and drive in eight in 32 at-bats in late 2017. Prior to coming to Toronto, he played with the Astros, Mariners, Royals, Brewers, and the Giants.

In 2015, Aoki, 33 at the time, slashed .287/.353/.380 with San Francisco, stealing 14 bases and driving in 26 in 93 games. That winter, he signed with the Mariners and played with them throughout the 2016 campaign.

Brad Penny, a veteran starter who’d briefly been a member of the Blue Jays in the winter of 2016, when he signed a MiLB deal with an invite to spring training, also played two seasons for the Giants. In parts of two seasons for the Giants, Penny, a native of Blackwell, Oklahoma, tossed 69.2 frames in San Francisco, boasting an ERA of 4.00 and striking out 30 and walking 18.

Prior to heading to California, he appeared in games for the Florida Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Boston Red Sox. He also was, at various points throughout his career, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers organizations.

Finally, Cole Gillespie, a journeyman outfielder who appeared in a single game for the Blue Jays in 2014, is also known for his brief stint with the Giants in 2012. Gillespie, now 32, most recently served as a member of the 2016 Miami Marlins, going 12-for-51 in 41 games.