Blue Jays reportedly turned down trade offers for infield prospect at deadline

According to reports, the Toronto Blue Jays turned down at least one trade package for infield prospect Leo Jimenez at the trade deadline.

Jimenez, 22, is currently in AA in the Blue Jays organization playing for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this season. He's slashing .286/.370/.448 with seven homeruns thus far this season, and that. 286 batting average is good enough for best on the team.

Jimenez was pulled out of the Fisher Cats lineup before a game on July 30th, leading to rumours he was involved in a trade. He was also dealing with an injury at the time though, so the reason for his removal from the lineup wasn't known initially. Ultimately though, the August 1st 6PM deadline came and went without a deal involving Leo Jimenez's name.

Jimenez was signed by the Blue Jays out of Panama in 2017 for an $825,000 bonus and he is currently the club's 19th ranked prospect. He primarily plays shortstop, but can also play second base, and if his progression continues at the current rate, many believe he can challenge for a spot on the major league roster as early as next year.

The Blue Jays have a plethora of middle infield prospects in the system, so the fact that they held onto Jimenez leads one to believe they value him highly. Orelvis Martinez, Cade Doughty, Josh Kasevich, and Estiven Machado are just a few names in the Blue Jays top 30 prospects capable of playing a middle infield position.

The twenty-two year old prospect is more known for his glove and his defensive abilities than his ability at the plate, but evident by his stats this year and last, he's no pushover at the plate. Although he's not known for his power either, Jimenez has begun to drive the ball more while also increasing his number of walks and lowering his strikeout rate.