Blue Jays add a dose of speed to their system in a trade with the Giants

One day after adding some depth to their pitching complement, the Toronto Blue Jays swung another deal, this time getting an infielder from the San Francisco Giants. The Blue Jays acquired Tyler Fitzgerald for cash considerations and subsequently optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo.

Blue Jays swing a deal to bring in an infielder with blazing speed

It's been a busy weekend for the Blue Jays on the transactions wire. On Friday (Apr. 3) they lost starting catcher Alejandro Kirk, who took a foul tip off his glove hand in the tenth inning of their eventual 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Kirk removed himself from the game and was then placed on the 10 day Injured List with a left thumb fracture.

Later on Friday evening, the Blue Jays announced that they had signed free agent starting pitcher Patrick Corbin to a one-year, $1 million deal. The former Washington Nationals left-hander is scheduled to begin pitching with the Dunedin Blue Jays in Single-A this week, and is reportedly already up to an 80-pitch threshold.

To replace Kirk's spot on the big league roster, catching prospect Brandon Valenzuela was called up. After a great spring campaign, Valenzuela is set to make his MLB debut as he'll now be the back up to veteran Tyler Heineman, seemingly for the duration of Kirk's injury.

Then the front office continued to tinker with the roster, adding Fitgerald on Saturday afternoon. The Giants originally drafted Fitzgerald in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB draft out of the University of Louisville. Fitzgerald made his MLB debut just after his 26th birthday on September 21, 2023 and got in to 10 games with the Giants at the end of that season.

He put up a 2.7 bWAR the following year in his first full season in the majors slashing .280/.334/.497 with an .831 OPS. He hit 15 home runs, and stole 17 bases in 96 games, but had a huge strikeout to walk ratio with 108 whiffs compared to 22 free passes. In 2025, Fitzgerald wasn't able to replicate the same kind of success, slashing just .217/.278/.327 with four home runs in 72 contests. He made the team as their Opening Day second baseman but was optioned to Triple-A in June and played in only 15 games after June 29, getting called up and sent back down a couple of times.

The Giants designated Fitzgerald for assignment early this week after he was basically pushed out of a roster spot to make room for Luis Arraez who was signed by the Bay Area team in the offseason. Fitzgerald started in Triple-A, but after three games the Giants decided to cut ties. It's an interesting move for Toronto whose middle infielders have remained healthy throughout spring and into the early part of the season, although Fitzgerald does give the Blue Jays something they currently lack at the big league level, and that's speed on the bases.

Fitzgerald has a 29.6 sprint speed rating which ranks in the 97th percentile. The Blue Jays' current fastest player is Myles Straw, who's sprint speed is rated at 28.6, putting him in the top ten. But only Ernie Clement has a spring speed rating above, and even that only ranks in the 38th percentile. So if the Blue Jays do bring up Fitzgerald to The Show, he'll add an added element the Blue Jays currently lack.

The Blue Jays still have an open spot on their 40-man roster and so another move could be in the works before the weekend is out.