Blue Jays: Brock Holt could add versatility in utility role

The Toronto Blue Jays could benefit from the positional versatility free-agent Broc Holt could afford in a utility-type role in 2020.

The Toronto Blue Jays proved last season how valuable players of Eric Sogard‘s ilk can be over 162 game stretch. Nobody ever envisioned Sogard would produce in the manner he did or be turned into a trade chip at the deadline. However, you can’t put a value on experience and leadership and the importance of such in a big-league clubhouse.

Brock Holt would be no exception and would actually come with more of an established MLB resume than that of a Sogard. The 31-year old bats from the left side and can play all over the diamond including outfield and second base.

Holt is an energy-type guy who knows his role and is ready when called upon, he brings postseason experience and a winning pedigree that could be beneficial to a young Blue Jays team trying to prove themself to the league. He is that gamer, uniform always dirty, socks-up, run through a wall type of player cut from the same cloth as the Reed Johnson types.

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Last season, Holt saw action in 87 games hitting .297/..369/.402 with 19 extra-base hits and 31 runs batted in. He boasts a career .271 batting average in 639 games over eight seasons in the majors with the Pirates and Red Sox.

Holt earned 3.575 million in 2019 and likely could be had for somewhere in the $4 million per season range over two years. The Blue Jays could also just bring Sogard back for another Canadian tour as he is also a free agent this offseason.

The Jays have Richard Urena or possibly Santiago Espinal should they choose to fill the position internally. Although Urena has some upside, I like the intangibles and experience that Holt could bring to this team.

With the loss of Justin Smoak, the Jays could certainly benefit from a veteran voice to steer them in the right direction when the going gets tough. Holt could most definitely be that guy.