Blue Jays Make Surprising Roster Decision Following Trade This Week
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The Toronto Blue Jays have made a surprising choice when it comes to their active MLB roster following a trade this week that bolstered their infield.
One day after trading for Chicago White Sox slugging infielder Lenyn Sosa, Toronto has announced they activated him and optioned recent trade acquisition Tyler Fitzgerald to Triple-A Buffalo despite him not playing in a game yet at the MLB level this season.
Clearly, the team felt Sosa adds more potential to this team right now than Fitzgerald does, and given that the former is a veteran without minor league options remaining, it became a much easier choice to send down Fitzgerald.
Blue Jays Clearly Value What Sosa Brings to Table
Though Fitzgerald is a better and more versatile defender than Sosa as well as being able to play the outfield, Sosa's bat is obviously something Toronto coveted when making the trade. The 26-year-old last year slashed .264/.293/.434 with 22 home runs and 75 RBI, bringing an element of pop.
Sosa virtually never walks, but the power is enough to convince the Blue Jays he can help. As for Fitzgerald, strikeouts are also an issue, but given that he does not have the power Sosa brings, clearly it's a risk the team was willing to take.
In reality, both could wind up contributing this season for a Toronto team that is dealing with an absurd number of injuries and can't seem to catch a break but is still looking to establish some sort of momentum.
Fitzgerald Will Likely Return to Blue Jays This Season
Over the last couple of years, Fitzgerald has proven to at least be a capable big league playing, posting a 3.8 bWAR over 178 games since 2023 including a slash line of .280/.334/.497 in 96 games during the 2024 season.
This was simply a decision of he had minor league options and Sosa did not, therefore Sosa is going to get a chance to prove he belongs first. Should Sosa not live up to the billing and Fitzgerald is getting it done in Triple-A, it would not be difficult to swap the pair back.
Regardless, Toronto is making moves to try to win games now and avoid falling even further back in the standings, which of course is the ultimate goal. Time will tell whether Sosa or Fitzgerald is the better man for the job in terms of making that happen.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.