Blue Jays: Looking at former prospects traded at the deadline under Ross Atkins

Griffin Conine – OF

Traded to the Miami Marlins in exchange for INF Jonathan Villar – August/31/2020

One of the first high-profile Ross Atkins draft picks to be traded was Griffin Conine, a second-round selection of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Duke University. Son of former big leaguer Jeff Conine, Griffin’s time in the Jays system was met with success and controversy off the field, as the corner outfielder would miss 50 games of the 2019 season after testing positive for the banned stimulant Ritalnic Acid.

Prior to the trade, Conine’s 2019 campaign ended with him amassing a .946 OPS with the Class A Lansing Lugnuts with 22 home runs and 64 RBI.

Conine would be traded to the Miami Marlins at the 2020 trade deadline in exchange for infielder Jonathan Villar, which ended up being a bit of a mess for the Jays when the veteran struggled to hit with his new organization. The Florida product on the other hand impressed early in the Marlins farm system, starting the year in High-A before earning a promotion to AA to finish out the year but struggling to find a groove and striking out often.

The former Jays prospect is posting solid numbers in AA this year, owning a .832 OPS with 13 home runs and 48 RBI through 267 at-bats. He has split his time equally in left and right field this season and has nine assists on the year while sporting a perfect 1.000% fielding percentage.

Currently ranked as the #24 prospect in the Marlins organization, Conine still struggles with the swing and miss in his game (114 K’s through 74 games this year) which is why he is most likely still in AA as of right now. He has the power and ability to hit but the strikeouts need to be reeled in if he is to keep on track with his 2023 MLB ETA.