Blue Jays: Anthony Kay claimed off of waivers by the Chicago Cubs

In a move that seemed to slip past our radar in all of the holiday fun, southpaw Anthony Kay has been claimed off of waivers by the Chicago Cubs.

To make room for Kay on the roster, the Cubs designated first baseman/outfielder Alfonso Rivas, who could potentially be of interest to the Blue Jays.

Rivas, 26, swings it from the left side and has some pop in his bat. What makes him even more attractive is the fact that he has two minor league options remaining, so he can be demoted freely.

Kay, 27, was a casualty of the Jays' signing of Chris Bassitt. Bringing Bassitt aboard pushed the 40-man roster to 41 and someone needed to be designated for assignment.

Unfortunately for Kay, things just never seemed to work out for him north of the border.

Acquired in the Marcus Stroman trade with the New York Mets back in 2019, Kay, along with Simeon Woods Richardson, were supposed to be key pieces to the Blue Jays pitching staff moving forward. SWR was dealt away in the José Berríos trade and Kay's departure means the Jays were not even able to get anything of value from him.

Kay had made at least one appearance for the Jays in each season from 2019-2022 but he never locked down consistent playing time.

Across 28 total appearances (seven starts), Kay went 4-2 with a 5.48 ERA and 4.67 FIP, good for an ERA+ of just 82, meaning he was 18 percent below league-average throughout his Toronto tenure.

While Kay demonstrated an impressive ability to strike batters out, he failed to limit walks and home runs, ultimately posting a 4.8 BB/9 rate as well as 1.3 HR/9, both marks are not sufficient enough to warrant a full-time gig at the big league level.

Regardless, we at Jays Journal wish Kay all the best in his next adventure in Major League Baseball.