According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the Toronto Blue Jays have checked in on free agent Marwin Gonzalez as they attempt to round out their roster. The 31-year old spent last season with the Minnesota Twins hitting just .211/.286/.320 with five home runs in 53 games.
Gonzalez is a super utility player who can play anywhere on the field with the exception of pitcher and catcher. In nine MLB seasons with the Astros and Twins, Gonzalez sports a career .261/.317/.413 stat line with 96 homers and a 13.9 WAR in 962 games.
As Mike Wilner pointed out in the below tweet, Gonzalez benefited the most statistically from the Astros cheating scandal having a career year in 2017.
More from Toronto Blue Jays Rumors
- Kyle Schwarber an ideal fit for the Blue Jays lineup
- Blue Jays: Could a 12-year old be the franchise’s future star shortstop?
- Blue Jays: Potential replacements for Marcus Semien
- Blue Jays: Time for an Old-Fashioned MLB Player for Player Trade?
- Are The Blue Jays Looking To Add Another Power Bat?
It is unknown the degree of interest the Blue Jays actually have in the switch hitter, however, he would afford the Blue Jays positional flexibility off the bench. Gonzalez is also a former teammate of George Springer having played in Houston for seven years.
Last season Gonzalez earned $9 million with Minnesota although it may be a stretch for him to garner that kind of deal on the open market this offseason. Gonzalez could conceivably fill the same bench role held by Joe Panik last season.
The Blue Jays have somewhat of a positional logjam with four starting outfielders and two first baseman who will both be seeking full time at-bats. If both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Rowdy Tellez are in the starting lineup then one of the outfielders becomes the odd man out. Randal Grichuk could see his playing time reduced if Tellez puts up similar numbers to that of last season.
There are a plethora of moving parts still in play and some think a trade will need to occur before Opening Day. Gonzalez could fill a void as a bench player, however, if he is looking for a starting role, this team will not be a fit for the veteran.