Blue Jays: Plethora of notable players looking for new homes

The non-tender deadline has come and gone with a flurry of activity across the league including a number of players who could draw some interest from the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays opened up three spots on their 40-man roster with the non-tendering of back-up catcher Luke Maile and relievers Derek Law and Jason Adam. In total, 53 players were non-tendered including former players Aaron Sanchez and Kevin Pillar.

There were a handful of head-scratchers with a plethora of talent added to the free-agent pool. The Philadelphia Phillies sent both Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez packing yesterday in a somewhat surprising turn of events.

Franco did have a down year in 2019 hitting just .234 with 17 homers in 123 games while Hernandez hit .279 with 14 home runs and nine stolen bases in 161 games. The 29-year old Hernandez is intriguing as he can play all around the infield and was worth 2.5 Wins Above Replacement last season.

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The Mariners cut ties with outfielder Domingo Santana after just one season in Seattle. The 27-year old has struggled to replicate his 2017 totals with the Brewers, however, he did still connect for 21 homers and 69 runs batted in last season. Santana could be an option for the Blue Jays outfield woes at the right price.

The Athletics decided not to pay closer Blake Treinen making him a free agent. The 31-year struggled in 2019 after his lights out campaign in 2018 where he garnered MVP consideration. Treinen should have plenty of suitors vying for his services this offseason.

Pitcher Taijuan Walker is also on the open market and could definitely be a buy-low candidate after making just four appearances over the past two seasons. Walker is still only 27-years old and can be a middle of the rotation starter if healthy.

The Cubs decided to rid themselves of Addison Russell and his off-field issues. The 25-year old hit .237 with nine homers in 82 games last season. The infielder served a 40-game suspension for violating the leagues Domestic Abuse policy. It will be interesting to see what team is prepared to take a chance on Russell in light of his past alleged indiscretions.

The Reds cut bait with Jose Peraza after signing free-agent Mike Moustakas earlier in the day. The 25-year old saw his production drastically drop in 2019 but still has 3 consecutive 20+ stolen base seasons under his belt. Peraza can play both the infield and outfield and would seem to be a fit for the Blue Jays.

Other notable players hitting the open market yesterday were Kevin Gausman, Jimmy Nelson, Travis Shaw, Yimi Garcia, C.J. Crone, Tim Beckham, and Yolmer Sanchez.