Ranking second base possibilities for the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays

Option One: The return of Whit Merrifield

For Whit Merrifield, he has certainly re-established his career since coming over from the Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline in 2022. At one point in time last season, it appeared as though Merrifield was heading towards father time, as he was amidst his worst season of his career prior to the trade.

But since making his debut with the Jays, he has appeared to regain some of his prior dominant All-Star form from his early days in a Royals’ uniform, and provided the offensive spark that was greatly needed in the Jays’ lineup.

With a mutual option in his contract with the ballclub, it seems possible that both sides could exercise their option and keep Merrifield with the team for a little longer. However, the fact that he got less playing time near the end of the season due to his struggles, as well as losing his starting spot for the playoffs completely did not sit too well with him.

Moreover, Merrifield clearly showed his displeasure with how things were handled when Jays’ starter José Berríos was lifted during the most important game of the season despite dominating the opposition for the entire game right up until that point in time. That bitter feeling has also stuck with him deeply as he would reiterate his stance and expressed his thoughts and emotions once again even a week later on the Foul Territory Podcast.

Not only that, but apparently Merrifield has already drawn some interest around the league even before he has even stepped his foot into free agency, so he already knows that he is highly-valued and a wanted man in the league.

As a result, it is highly unlikely now that Merrifield will remain with the Jays’ organization for 2024 and will most likely move on to another team that he believes to be a good fit for him. Nevertheless, he did provide the necessary impact in helping the ballclub reach the postseason for the second consecutive season as we wish him all the best and thank him for his efforts.

Verdict: Not going to happen

Option Two: Looking at external options in free agency

If we take a look at what’s available in the upcoming free agent class for 2023-24, there are some intriguing, yet risky options available to choose from. Here, we take a look at some of the top free agents available in the position.

Elvis Andrus has been a steady producer over his 15-year MLB career and was just coming off a 17-homer, 58-RBI season in 2022. However, he is also turning 35 this offseason, along with the fact that he just started playing some second base this past season after playing shortstop for his entire career, so there could be some risk to it despite being a possible safe pickup.

Jorge Polanco currently has a club option, but if the Minnesota Twins decide to buy him out, he would definitely be an interesting pickup, as he is only two years removed from his 33 HR, 98 RBI career season in 2021 and would provide plenty of pop in the Jays’ lineup.

For veteran Kolten Wong, he actually drew some interest by the Jays during the 2020-21 offseason, but nothing came to fruition in the end. The Jays can choose to pursue that route once again, as based on his track record, he would be able to bring his Gold Glove defence along with some adequate offence to the ballclub. However, he is coming off a somewhat down season in 2023 both offensively and defensively while serving part-time duties with the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Renowned for his super versatility in playing almost all the positions in the field other than catcher and pitcher, Kiké Hernández would certainly be an attractive option for the Jays. He will be only 32 heading into free agency and appears to still have some good years left in his legs. At the same time, he is also more than capable with the bat as well as holding his own defensively too. More importantly, he has an impressive lifetime postseason portfolio that includes a .274 average, .893 OPS, with 13 home runs and 29 RBI in 72 games played, which could be key when the Jays make the playoffs next time around.

Finally, there’s former All-Star and Gold Glover Javier Báez. For someone that is capable of hitting in the .270-.280 range, along with providing close to 30 homers and 90 RBI year in and year out, Báez would be a premium option to consider compared to the rest of the previous ones mentioned. However, he is coming off two sub-par seasons with the Detroit Tigers, along with having his work ethic being questioned at times during his tenure with the ballclub. But perhaps a change of scenery would be just enough to revitalize Báez, just like what happened for Merrifield when he came over to the Jays.

The Jays could also look into the trade route, but with plenty of solid options available both in free agency and what they already have internally (see below), it would be wise that they save their assets in that regard and go with what is already accessible for them. So what the Jays just need to determine now is if they indeed intend to pursue free agency for the solution at second base, they will need to ensure the player they bring is a definite upgrade of what they already have. Otherwise, it may not be worth it.

Verdict: Maybe, at the right price

Option Three: Finding the solution internally

Without a question, the Jays may already have the solution right on their roster now in Cavan Biggio. After all, he had been fantastic down the stretch for the Jays in helping them reach the postseason this past year. Especially during September, he practically became an everyday player for the team as in 26 games, he led the Jays’ offensive attack with a .277 average, .408 OBP, .781 OPS, with 17 runs scored, five doubles, one home run, 14 RBI, 18 walks and 19 strikeouts.

Biggio was so impressive that he was inserted into the heart of the order in the lineup along with the big boys, along with taking the starting job away from Merrifield at second base heading into the postseason. On top of that, he even flashed the leather a few times with some solid defensive plays, showing his increased confidence in his defensive abilities as well. It appears as though his struggles at the start of the season was probably due to a lack of playing time, as his rise to prominence happened to coincide with his increased playing time down the stretch. As a result, the Jays may have their replacement right there without having to worry any more than they need to.

If the Jays are still not 100% confident in Biggio’s abilities, there are two great backup options available in place already as well. If they are looking for strong defensive play, Santiago Espinal is more than ready to provide that to the team at the position. If they are looking for some added power and pop, Davis Schneider has shown that ability during his brief two-month stint at the end of the season with the ballclub in 2023. All else fails, if the Jays cannot make up their mind amongst them, they could always go back to employing a platoon role at second base, with one of Espinal or Schneider accompanying Biggio in the duo.

In reality, they shouldn’t need to dip into the minor league pool, but if the Jays want to give another promising prospect a shot at it, Addison Barger is definitely ready to make the jump to the major league level entering the 2024 season after narrowly missing out on the team’s Opening Day roster in 2023. However, the Jays don’t really need to force their raw prospect right into the thick of things when they already have the three bonafide, MLB-ready options to deploy from above, so it is certainly a no-brainer what the best options available are that the Jays should pursue. Now it’s just a matter of what the management thinks about it.

Verdict: Highly likely