The Toronto Blue Jays entered the 2024 season with a bunch of infield prospects all vying for a spot within the Main Leagues. This group included:
- Davis Schneider
- Ernie Clement
- Santiago Espinal (traded – Spring Coaching)
- Addison Barger
- Spencer Horwitz
- Cavan Biggio (DFA’d – June seventh)
- Leo Jimenez
- Luis De Los Santos
Whereas he was part of the group heading into the 2023/2024 offseason, the Blue Jays moved infielder Otto López earlier than Spring Coaching rolled round, designating him for task and later buying and selling him to the San Francisco Giants for money issues.
López cracked the Blue Jays massive league roster in 2021 for one at-bat and mustered 9 extra in 2022, with the crew boasting a powerful infield core that didn’t have room for López on the roster. He later struggled to remain wholesome in 2023, spending all season in triple-A, whereas boasting middle-of-the-road stats when he was on the sector. He amassed a .258/.313/.343 slash line with 35 RBIs and a .656 OPS by way of 84 video games whereas amassing 13 stolen bases – patrolling the center infield whereas taking reps in left and centre discipline as effectively.
With the emergence of Schneider in 2023 and Barger, Jimenez, and Clement (amongst others) all competing for a spot on the Jays bench, the entrance workplace shipped López to the NL West. After struggling final season and having only one minor league possibility at his disposal after being added to the 40-man roster in 2021, the Jays brass moved on from the Dominican product with Canadian ties to present approach to different inside gamers.
OFFICIAL: We’ve traded UTIL Otto Lopez to the Giants for money issues. pic.twitter.com/uXoHuKesKy
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) February 13, 2024
López’s tenure with the Giants lasted by way of Spring Coaching and he was optioned to triple-A halfway by way of March, that means he wouldn’t be making the Opening Day roster. The Giants would DFA López on April 1st, having not performed a recreation within the Bay Space, with the 26-year-old being claimed off of waivers by the Miami Marlins a couple of days later.
It was with the Marlins that López discovered his groove within the massive leagues, turning into a mainstay on the roster that noticed him swimsuit up in 117 video games for his new membership. He spent simply over per week in triple-A earlier than being known as as much as the Marlins roster.
Whereas he took a couple of video games to get going whereas enjoying sparingly off the bench, amassing simply two hits by way of 13 at-bats, he made an announcement in late April in opposition to Washington. He smacked his first massive league residence run off of reliever Tanner Rainey and added one other single whereas changing Luis Arraez as a pinch hitter.
With Arraez being traded to San Diego early into Could, López began to realize on a regular basis reps at second base and took benefit of the chance. Exterior of a decrease again harm that had him on the shelf for a couple of weeks in July, López was the membership’s mainstay on the suitable facet of second base after Arraez’s departure and appeared in 117 video games by the season’s finish.
Via 403 at-bats, the right-handed batter posted a .270/.313/.377 slash line with 23 doubles, six residence runs, and 39 RBIs with 25 walks. Whereas he isn’t an influence bat by any means, López’s .690 OPS could be attributed to the low stroll fee mixed with the slugging numbers however he nonetheless compiled a 91 wRC+ and a 2.6 bWAR – a very good chunk of which got here from his stellar defence the place he amassed a 9 DRS with a .989 fielding proportion. The same components that Atkins and co. have used over time (excessive worth on protection, much less on the facility) to attempt to discover success.
Otto Lopez along with his first MLB residence run.
What are the Marlins cooking within the ninth?
405 toes, 103.9 off the bat pic.twitter.com/LccDDVWwK7
— Alex Krutchik (@AlexKrutchikFOF) April 27, 2024
Wanting on the numbers, López posted the next bWAR than Blue Jays mainstays like Schneider, Alejandro Kirk, and George Springer however slotted behind considered one of his important rivals for a roster spot heading into this season in Clement (3.4) and trailed veteran utility participant Isiah Kiner-Falefa (3.2), whose addition helped with the commerce of López being potential (though he too was later traded on the deadline). His OPS trailed all of the gamers talked about above who had been behind him in bWAR and Clement received the higher of him on this division by simply two factors.
There’s some give and take right here given the variety of video games performed, at-bats, and many others so the comparisons aren’t all that honest when you get into the nitty-gritty of it, however it seems that as soon as López was given a little bit little bit of room to work and develop on the massive league degree, he excelled on the fielding features and held his personal on the plate. Don’t get me mistaken, he wasn’t the celebrity participant who blossomed instantly as soon as he wasn’t with the Blue Jays, however he held his personal at second base, authored a 1.7 oWAR with a .318 BABip, and was arguably higher than among the different choices that suited up at second base for the Jays this season. That’s to not say that received’t change over time, which is probably going what the Blue Jays brass is hoping for after transferring him, however trying on the 2024 season alone, there are fairly a couple of positives to be seen from an prolonged look within the massive leagues within the NL West.
It will likely be fascinating to see how these numbers evaluate to others like Barger, Leo Jiménez, and Orelvis Martinez, who could also be given some runway to contribute over a full marketing campaign subsequent 12 months relying on how the Jays offseason plans go. Add within the likes of Will Wagner, who impressed throughout his restricted pattern measurement within the massive leagues following the commerce deadline, and the Jays felt that López was the odd man out within the equation after struggling in 2023.
It’s too early to say whether or not letting go of López will chew the Blue Jays in the long term, particularly since these he was competing in opposition to for taking part in time (Barger, Horwitz, Jiménez, and many others) didn’t get the identical enjoying time for essentially the most honest comparability – no less than eye to eye.
Statistically, the Jays would have benefited from having López at second base over Schneider – who ultimately performed extra left discipline anyway – however might haven’t lived as much as Horwitz from a bWAR perspective had the Jays prospect been known as up earlier to complete with 75-100 extra at-bats and nearer to López. There will even be the query of whether or not he compares to the likes of Wagner, who wasn’t within the equation to start out the marketing campaign however was pushing the narrative for elevated enjoying time towards the top of the season earlier than hitting the IL. That alone might have compelled López out of the equation if he had been nonetheless round.
5 unanswered runs for Miami! Otto Lopez along with his third residence run as a Marlin
Miami leads 5-3. pic.twitter.com/nLTtpfExfT
— Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) Could 14, 2024
There’ll at all times be ‘gamers that received away’ from each group and for the Jays, the following one to suit into this class could possibly be Otto López, who fared simply fantastic in his first full season with the Marlins.
He nonetheless has a methods to go earlier than followers are placing this within the ‘what was Atkins considering’ dialogue but when he continues to play stable protection at second base and finds a approach to up the OPS numbers with some higher plate self-discipline, the narrative might shift shortly – particularly if the Blue Jays battle at second base subsequent season with their inside (or exterior) choices.
