Blue Jays rumours: Top 5 non-tender candidates to watch this week

3- A corner outfielder worth considering

One name that confuses me to see on the list of potential non-tenders is Eddie Rosario of the Minnesota Twins. I wondered if perhaps his inclusion was a bit of an overstatement, but Fangraphs also has him on their list, and even rates him was ‘likely’ to be let go.

The reason he might come available would be that the Twins don’t want to pay him his expected salary in his last go-around in arbitration before hitting free agency in 2022. Spotrac.com has him down for an estimated salary of 11 million next year, and many folks believe the Twins would rather allocate their resources elsewhere.

Rosario wouldn’t be a perfect for the Blue Jays, as they don’t really have a need in their corner outfield spots, but it all depends on the acquisition cost, and what it could mean for other roster moves. If they could acquire a 2.7 bWAR player for nothing, which is what he averaged from 2017-19, then that’s worth considering. His left-handed stick in the lineup wouldn’t hurt either, helping balance the right-heavy group.

Rosario won’t be 30 until September of next year, and he slashed a solid .257/.326/.476 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI in 57 games in 2020, so it’s not as if he’s lost a step. This may just be a case of the effect of a 2020 season without fans in the stands. Typically a good player like Rosario would be retained without hesitation, and now could suddenly find himself in a new jersey next year.

If he does become available, or the Twins want to give him away for a low-level prospect, it’s worth having a long look at. Again, he’s not an ideal fit as a corner outfielder, but the Blue Jays haven’t been set on filling their needs in a traditional sense anyway, and they might just find a great way to make it work.