Blue Jays: Why they made the decision now about Joe Panik

With baseball currently suspended, it was a bit of a surprise to see the Blue Jays make a roster decision with Joe Panik. Turns out there was a good explanation.

A lot of professional baseball players are in limbo right now, especially the ones that were on the bubble when it came to making a MLB roster this spring. For now player in camp with the Blue Jays this spring, that’s no longer a problem.

Despite the fact that baseball has come to a halt because of concerns across North America about the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the Blue Jays made the decision to add Joe Panik to their 40-man roster. The decision all but cements his place on the MLB roster for Opening Day, whenever that may be, and the Blue Jays made room for him by placing Yennsy Diaz on the 60-day IL, which means he could be removed from the 40-man.

It’s not yet known exactly what kind of injury Diaz is dealing with, but it’s hard to imagine the Blue Jays would try to create a “phantom” injury of the 60-day IL variety. That said, with baseball all but frozen for eight weeks anyway, perhaps they are being a little generous with whatever ailment he might be facing.

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It’s been widely speculated that the Blue Jays had a deal with Panik that he would either make their MLB roster, or be released to pursue another opportunity elsewhere. According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, that opt-out must have come up, and the Blue Jays needed to make a decision, even with the current circumstances. Thankfully, Panik has impressed to the point that I’m sure the Blue Jays didn’t mind making the commitment to him now, even if it’s earlier than they’d realistically have to otherwise.

During his six-year career with the San Francisco Giants, Panik was exclusively used as a second baseman, save for one appearance at first. The Blue Jays will be asking to take more of an expanded utility role, and he responded well in camp before things were shut down. The upside is they get an experienced veteran with a Gold Glove and an All-Star appearance on his resume, and also a World Series ring from his rookie year in 2014.

He doesn’t have to be any of those things in Toronto provide value to Charlie Montoyo‘s bench, but instead will be asked to provide veteran leadership, defensive flexibility, and hopefully he’ll help raise the floor of the 26-man roster as a whole. At 29 years old, it’s hard to imagine that he’s washed up, and a fresh start in Toronto might be exactly what he needs to get back to the type of player that slashed .288/.347/.421 just two seasons ago.

If everything goes according to plan, Panik won’t be an everyday starter with the Blue Jays, but should still see plenty of playing time if he’s backing up several infielders. The Blue Jays obviously saw enough in him so far to believe he’s up to the task, and now that they’ve made the decision, it’s one less they’ll have to make when baseball resumes at a later date.