Former Toronto Blue Jays Infielder Signs with A's

He'll bring depth for the A's, but which former player does he compare to?

Apr 16, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A Toronto Blue Jays hat and glove in the dugout during a game against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Athletics have been after some options on the infield, and on Monday they added some depth on a minor-league deal. According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, the A's have come to terms with former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Michael Stefanic. The pact comes with an invite to spring training.

Stefanic, 29, will be entering his age-30 season in 2026, and has spent parts of the last four seasons in the big leagues. The first three came with the Los Angeles Angels, while he was with the Jays for nine games in 2025.

Across those four seasons he has played in 99 cumulative games, batting .227 with a .314 OBP and a .581 OPS. He went 4-for-22 with Toronto last season, with four singles, three walks and three strikeouts. All of his games came in May, and his final one with the Jays came against the visiting Athletics, whom he went 1-for-4 against with a walk in the opening game of the series.

Over his career, the right-hander holds a 14.9% strikeout rate, which is terrific, but his average exit velocity has sat two miles per hour below league average at 86.3 mph, meaning that he's not as likely to do damage when he makes contact. Stefanic has also managed a higher walk rate than league average at 9% (league is at 8.4%), so that's another strength for the veteran.

Feb 21, 2025; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Michael Stefanic (16) participates in media day at the Blue Jays Player Development Complex. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Defensively, Stefanic has graded out as league average over his career, though in 2022 and 2025 he earned a +1 outs above average rating, so there is the potential for a slightly better-than-league-average-glove there with enough playing time.

In the minors last season, he hit much better, batting .287 with a .403 OBP, six home runs, 51 RBI, and more walks (59) than strikeouts (44).

While he likely won't enter camp as the favorite to take over at second base, he could certainly have a shot with a good spring training. Nobody is necessarily entrenched at the position at the moment, and if Mark Kotsay and the front office believe Stefanic gives them their best shot to begin the season, then the job could certainly be his.

His profile certainly seems to be similar to former A's third baseman Jonah Bride, where he doesn't hit the ball hard, but he gets on base a decent amount. The struggle for Bride has also been collecting extra-base hits. The hope for the A's could be that Stefanic can turn in a hot few weeks that could make an impact on the club, like Brandon Inge in 2012.