The Blue Jays announced that they have reinstated the outfielder Spencer Horwitzand infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio selected for assignment by corresponding motion. Their number of 40 players dropped to 39. Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi previously reported to X that Horwitz has joined the club.
Biggio, 29, has had a multi-position role with the Jays for a long time. He showed a keen eye for the plate just coming to the big leagues, but it looks like the pitchers realized that he won’t do much damage if they throw more goals at him. He drew walks in 16.5% of his plate appearances during his rookie season in 2019 but that number has decreased year over year. It was 15.5% in 2020 and went to 12.6%, 12.5% and 11.8% in the following years.
Here in 2024, Bigio only walked at a 10.7% clip. That’s still above the league average, which is 8.3% so far this season, but it’s a big drop from where he started. The beatings have become a growing problem for him over the years. In 2021, he was thrown at a league average of 23% but that shot into the high 20s in subsequent campaigns and is currently at a 32.1% clip here this year.
Thanks to his base skills, Bigio was able to hit .240/.368/.430 in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He hit 16 home runs early in those seasons but that is now considered by many to be a “juicy ball” season in which home runs reached unprecedented levels. That production still translates to a wRC+ of 118 but he’s hit .219/.327/.351 since then with a 94 wRC+, which includes a .200/.323/.291 line and an 88 wRC+ here in 2024.
Defensively, Biggio never got solid marks anywhere on the diamond but at least he gave the Jays plenty of flexibility. That includes one inning at shortstop but plenty of time at the other three infield spots and the outfield as well.
As Biggio’s results declined over the years, other players stepped into his multi-position role. Davis Schneider he splits his time between second base and left field and has hit .254/.364/.505 since being called up last year with a 145 wRC+. The Jays signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the offseason and is hitting nearly league average for solid defense at various interior positions. Ernie Clement he doesn’t hit much but gets stronger grades for his glove work than Bigio.
On top of these three, there is Horwitz mentioned above. He has been hitting extremely well in Triple-A this year, walking in 17% of his plate appearances and producing a .335 / .456 / .514 line for a 157 wRC+. He played the first game but the Jays recently started getting him a job at second base to help him settle in. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which plays first most days. The Jays tried again with Guerrero playing third base late but did it again Justin Turner again Daniel Vogelbach on first base/designated hitter’s rotation.
In the midst of all that, it seems that Bigio has been left out of the lineup for being in the middle. He doesn’t have the attacking power of guys like Schneider, Turner, Vogelbach and maybe Horwitz, while Kiner-Falefa and Clement are strong defenders. The Jays also could not send Bigio down to the minors as he has now more than five years of service.
That removed Bigio from the 40-man roster and the Jays will have one week to trade him or place him on waivers. Having passed the five-year service mark, he has the right to decline a direct assignment and opt for free agency while retaining all of his salary. He made $4.21MM this year, with about $2.78MM left to pay. If anyone wants him, they will have to take that salary but also have the ability to keep Biggio through arbitration next year.
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