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Inside The Blue Jays

Blue Jays May Need Creative Solution for Addison Barger’s Return

The Jays might have to get creative if they want their best hitters fielded out every single night.
Maddy Dickens|
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

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Toronto Blue Jays

It is still a little way off for Addison Barger and the Toronto Blue Jays, but there is a huge problem brewing when he inevitably returns to the roster from IL- too many outfielders.

While it might feel like a problem to address when that time comes, the more that players like Jesus Sanchez and Yohendrick Pinango continue to thrive, the issue becomes glaringly bigger. On Tuesday night, both had a homer, highlighted by Sanchez's grand slam.

When totally healthy, the Jays will have:

  1. George Springer
  2. Daulton Varsho
  3. Nathan Lukes
  4. Addison Barger
  5. Yohendrick Pinango
  6. Jesus Sanchez
  7. Myles Straw
Yohendrick Pinango hits a baseball in a blue Blue Jays jersey
Blue Jays left fielder Yohendrick Pinango (24) hits a two run double against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Really, it boils down to six playing for three spots as Straw isn't typically used as a starter, but more of a pinch hitter. Seemingly, there is an excess at Barger's position, while the infield has absolutely no room for injuries.

In a perfect world, the entire field wouldn't have to scramble, and Barger could just go play third, which he has plenty of experience at, but Kazuma Okamoto has to stay there, since first is his only other spot that he knows, and everybody knows who is there.

But what could the Jays look like if Barger was able to step over and learn second base? If anybody could do it, it would be him, as his baseball knowledge is unfathomable, capped off by his speed and athleticism.

A Possible Starting Lineup When Barger Returns

George Springer hits a baseball in a blue Blue Jays jerse
Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) hits a single against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at the Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

If Barger were able to pivot around to second, that would move Ernie Clement, but not out of the order by any means. Clement is leading the team in batting average, hits, and doubles, and has three homers in his current 9-game hit streak.

  1. RF George Springer
  2. CF Daulton Varsho
  3. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  4. SS Ernie Clement
  5. DH Yohendrick Pinango
  6. 2B Addison Barger
  7. LF Jesus Sanchez
  8. C Brandon Valenzuela
  9. 3B Kazuma Okamoto

It would actually move the 3x Gold Glove, Andres Gimenez, to the bench. But his bat is the weakest at this point, or if/when Okamoto goes cold again he takes some time away from the game, and Barger stays at third.

There are a lot more options with Barger staying in the infield that make the offense a lot better without having to rely on Lenyn Sosa in a jam, who is hitting under .200 on the year.

It is hard to grasp that a .300 batting average would be the DH and hitting fifth, but Springer is better defensively, and ultimately, a team fielded with the players above gives the order a lot of different options. All set up to win.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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