Blue Jays: Travis Snider still chasing the dream

Former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider announced on Twitter earlier this week that he signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In what feels like a lifetime ago, Travis Snider was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round, 14th overall of the 2006 amateur draft. Expectations loomed large for the young outfielder following the draft and his roller-coaster ride to the majors, however, the native of Kirkland, Washington could unfortunately never live up to the lofty expectations placed on him.

Snider made his debut in 2008 and impressed initially albeit in a small sample size hitting .301/.338/.466 with 22 hits in 24 games. The outfielder would not hit above .250 over the course of the next four seasons north of the border prompting a 2012 trade to the Pirates in exchange for failed first-rounder Brad Lincoln.

The self-proclaimed “Lunchbox Hero” due to his insatiable appetite has not appeared in the majors since 2015 and sports a career .244/.311/.399 slash line with 54 homers, 212 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases in 630 games with the Jays, Pirates, and Orioles.

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Snider has spent the past 5 seasons in the minors with the Royals, Mets, Rangers, and Diamondbacks organizations as he attempts to make it back to the majors. Last season, Snider played 93 games for the Triple-A Reno Aces who are the D’Backs affiliate. The 31-year old hit .294/.402/.497 with 11 home runs in 368 plate appearances.

Throughout his 12 MiLB season, Snider is hitting .300/.380/.491 with 111 homers in 814 career games on the farm for a plethora of teams. The outfielder also suited up for 94 games in 2018 with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic Independent League.

Once one of the games elite prospects, Snider will begin the 2020 season on a minor-league pact hopeful for a rash of injuries in the desert that could open up a door for a return to the show. Good on Snider for still chasing the dream after all these years.