Blue Jays: Weighing the long-term vs. the short-term with defence

If the Blue Jays wanted to improve their infield defence right now they might consider shuffling some positions around. That said, it’s not all about right now.

It’s certainly too early to overreact to what we’ve seen in over the 11 games this season, but there’s no denying that that there are a few glaring weaknesses thus far. Arguably the most significant would be the performance of their infield defence, which was an area the front office wanted to address over the winter. They did bring in a valuable veteran in Marcus Semien to play second base and he’s made a very quick transition to become a solid gloveman at second base, but the rest of the group has been a work in progress.

Bo Bichette has had some early struggles at shortstop while making three errors, but thankfully he’s settled in a bit over the last few games. Cavan Biggio has mostly looked pretty good at third base, but there are legitimate questions about his arm strength from the hot corner, and he made an error on a longer throw last night. As for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. he’s definitely shown some significant improvement at first base, but he’s clearly still a work in progress.

Oddly enough, I think it’s fair to ask if most of the Blue Jays infield might be miscast in their current roles, at least as far as current value. It’s not hard to find Blue Jays fans on social media who wonder aloud if the team might be better off by flipping Semien with either Bichette or Biggio, and it’s a fair suggestion. I think Charlie Montoyo might even consider it with a greater sense of urgency, but for the time being the Jays have to keep the long-term in mind.

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For example, moving Semien to shortstop and Bichette to second might improve the defence for tomorrow, but there are multiple reasons not to make the switch. To start with, Bichette is a franchise player who very much wants to stay at his long-time position at shortstop. He’s worked hard to improve his glove work and he’s made big strides. It’s clear that he still has work to do, but I wouldn’t bet against him. Instead I’d give him the time he needs to become the player he can be, and work with him to make sure he succeeds. It’s also important to keep a talent like his as happy as possible, and having a quick hook from his favourite position wouldn’t help in that department.

When it comes to Semien, I’m sure he’d be happy to return to his natural position at shortstop. However, when he signed to join the Blue Jays they asked him where he’d want to play if it wasn’t his normal position, and he told them he preferred second. All reports indicate that he’s an amazing teammate and I’m sure he’d make the switch to third base if he were asked, but honouring his request has some weight in future free agent negotiations, both with Semien and possibly others. After spending the offseason preparing to play second base, you’d need the veteran to be 100% on board with a move to third, and it’s debatable if that would make the defence better overall or not.

As for Vlad Jr., I’ll admit that I didn’t have a lot of faith in his defensive value when the season started. After watching him play over the last couple of weeks, he’s changed my mind enough that I’d be interested in seeing him get the occasional start at the hot corner. However, the best thing the Blue Jays can do for his long-term value is give him as many reps as possible at first base. He has obvious talents, but his instincts at a new position still need work. Nothing beats experience, and he’ll need to gain a lot of it this year.

So while it’s frustrating to watch the Blue Jays at a less than optimal level with their defence, there’s some method to Montoyo’s patience. It won’t last forever, but for now it makes all the sense in the world.