6 amazing Blue Jays moves that worked out better than planned in 2023

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For the 2023 season, the Toronto Blue Jays made various moves over the course of the year that has helped shape their successful season. With the Jays currently on the cusp of clinching a Wild Card playoff spot, we will now take a look back in retrospect at six stellar moves that have turned out better than initially planned in contributing to their winning ways. Without these solid moves, the Jays probably wouldn’t be where they are today and definitely wouldn’t be in it to win it.

The signing of Kevin Kiermaier

When the Jays initially signed Kevin Kiermaier during the 2022-23 offseason, their goal was plain and simple. They needed someone that could take hold of the outfield defence and ensure that they are no longer giving up free runs to their opponents due to miscues by outfielders. Anything else beyond that would be an added bonus for the ballclub.

They certainly chose the right person by bringing Kiermaier aboard as he has been everything the Jays expected him to be. With his dazzling, elite outfield defence, he has compiled 17 DRS along with five outfield assists and only three errors committed all season. However, Kiermaier has been even more than that, as he has provided an unexpected offensive boost to the Jays’ lineup from the bottom of the order throughout the season.

For the 2023 season, Kiermaier has hit a solid .265 with a .742 OPS, 57 runs scored, 21 doubles, six triples, eight home runs, 36 RBI, and 14 stolen bases, matching those similar numbers from earlier on in his career when he shone for the Tampa Bay Rays. Added to the fact that he has become a fan favourite with the Jays’ faithful, his free agency signing during the offseason has definitely been a win-win for the Blue Jays this year.

The signing of Brandon Belt

In addition to Kiermaier, the crafty veteran Brandon Belt has also turned out to be a key signing by the Jays this past offseason. Belt had spent his entire career with the San Francisco Giants, so nobody knew how he would perform once away from the only team he had been with. Added to the fact that he was coming off season-ending knee surgery from the previous season, any outcome was potentially possible, good or bad, once he joined the Jays in 2023.

Initially, things did not start off smoothly as Belt would endure in one of his worst slumps of his professional baseball career at the plate to start the season. This included striking out at close to a 50% rate during a stretch at one point in time. Luckily, he was able to turn things completely around in rapid fashion starting in May and he certainly hasn’t looked back since then. For the 2023 season, Belt has compiled a .252 batting average, along with an .852 OPS, 52 runs scored, 23 doubles, 18 home runs and 42 RBI, providing the much-needed offensive spark for the Jays from the left side of the plate.

More importantly, Belt is now back in the nick of time with the Jays after coming off the IL to do his best to help the team get into the playoffs. He definitely did his part both on Thursday night against the New York Yankees with a three-run blast and on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays with another solo shot to help power the Jays one step closer to a playoff berth. With his breadth of playoff experience and veteran leadership, look for Belt to guide the Jays into the postseason, and hopefully right to where he had been two times previously in his career in the World Series.

The signing of Jay Jackson, twice

At the time, it certainly seemed like an under-the-radar depth move, but looking back now, it has sure made Jays’ management look like geniuses as a result. Back in January, the Jays signed Jay Jackson to a minor league contract, and in doing so, he became part of their Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. After an impressive spring showing in which he pitched 9.1 scoreless innings while striking out 13 batters over eight appearances, he was surprisingly released from the ballclub despite the performance.

However, just days later, the Jays actually re-signed Jackson, this time to a split contract where the player is paid differently depending on if they were in the majors or minors. This was in part to reward him for his impressive spring performance with a better contract going forward if he were to eventually make an appearance at the big league level at some point in time during the 2023 season.

Well, that ultimately came to fruition, as when the Jays ran into some bullpen injury woes during the season, Jackson was summoned from the minors. Boy, did he not disappoint, as over his few stints with the big league club, Jackson has posted a strong 3-1 record with a tidy 2.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, giving up only seven earned runs, nine walks and 27 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched. For the most part, his unexpected contributions helped the Jays stay afloat in the playoff race during the middle parts of the 2023 season. The Jays should definitely considered the option of bringing Jackson back when he hits free agency at the end of the season after what he has done and accomplished for the ballclub.

The trade for Génesis Cabrera

Prior to the trade deadline, the Jays made one of their first trade transactions with the St. Louis Cardinals which involved the acquisition of lefty reliever Génesis Cabrera. At the time, Cabrera was struggling mightily for the underachieving Cardinals, so much that the Cardinals actually designated him for assignment prior to the trade. The Jays took full advantage by jumping on the opportunity to add another strong left-handed option to their bullpen, as they had only one sole lefty in Tim Mayza there all season.

The trade has certainly turned out to be one of the most underrated roster transactions made by the Jays during the 2023 season, as Cabrera has re-established some of his previous dominant form once joining his new ballclub. He was actually so impressive and practically unhittable such that it took all the way until September before an opposing team was finally able to score an earned run off of him.

Since joining the Jays, Cabrera has amassed a 1-0 record with six holds, along with a stellar 2.42 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, giving up only six earned runs, as well as six walks and 18 strikeouts in 22.1 innings as of work. He has been so good that many believed that he could probably handle more high leverage situations going forward rather than be just a lefty specialist out of the bullpen. Nevertheless, the addition of Cabrera has more than made up for the losses of Anthony Bass, Zach Pop, and Adam Cimber from the bullpen core during the season, as he looks to continue to be a difference maker for the ballclub.

The trade for Jordan Hicks

If you thought the acquisition of Cabrera couldn’t be beat, well, how about reeling in the big fish in electric reliever Jordan Hicks, once again from the St. Louis Cardinals. All season long, the Jays had quite the reliable and consistent bullpen, but it lacked the flamethrowing power arm that could ultimately put them among the league’s elite. Nate Pearson was the closest thing that the Jays had in terms of a flamethrower for the back end of the bullpen. He was actually effective in the role for a short while before finally falling apart during mid-season. Not to fear, as in comes triple-digit radar freakin’ Hicks.

Ever since coming over from the Cardinals at the trade deadline, Hicks has been everything the Jays needed him to be and more. Believe it or not, as overpowering and dominant as he has been in the past, he is actually posting career-bests in ERA and strikeouts-to-walk ratio so far in his tenure with the Jays. In his 24 appearances to date, Hicks is 2-2 with a strong 2.05 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, giving up only five earned runs, six walks and 20 big-time punchouts in just 22 innings of work. More impressively, his strikeouts-to-walk ratio being greater than 3:1 marks the best ratio of his career, showing that his command and control has been superb since joining his new ballclub.

Especially now with the recent slight faltering of closer Jordan Romano due to his cracked fingernail limiting his effectiveness, Hicks may be leaned upon even more heavily as the Jays hope to nail down the playoff spot and punch their ticket into the postseason. He definitely instills that unbeatable confidence that he will get the job done every time he comes out, and that is what makes him the fierce competitor that he is.

The promotion of Davis Schneider

Finally, who could forget Davis Schneider among the entire group of standouts. Basically he is a phenom that came out of nowhere to help the Jays during their most critical stretch of the season. Back in early August, after losing three of four to the division-leading Baltimore Orioles and having just recently lost Bo Bichette to injury, the Blue Jays called up Schneider prior to the start of the weekend series against the Boston Red Sox and the rest was history, literally.

“Babe” Schneider would go on to make history by becoming the first ever player to collect nine hits and hit two home runs in their first three games of their MLB career. He would end up maintaining his stay on the big league roster as he continued to provide valuable offensive contributions to the ballclub down the stretch. At the same time, the Jays' faithful became endeared to his superb play and the "stache" in the process.

For the season, he has hit .268 with a .986 OPS, 30 runs scored, eight home runs and 20 RBI in his short tenure with the big league club. Schneider may be slowing down quite a bit in recent times, but what he did to help the ballclub when they needed it the most sure made a huge difference in keeping the Jays contenders than becoming pretenders over the past month and a half. Hopefully, he has done enough to remain a part of the Jays’ lineup going forward for now and the near future.

Overall, no matter how far the Blue Jays make it in the end, the 2023 season wouldn’t have been a success without the implementation of these moves for sure.

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