Post by dougiejays on May 5, 2020 13:49:16 GMT -5
In a surprising move, the Toronto Blue Jays sent top prospect Gary Sheffield down to AAA Syracuse on Tuesday.
Sheffield, 22, has hit .243/.333/.310 with 0 homers in 113 ABs this season, after posting a .243/.346./.375 line in 149 games as a rookie in 1990.
“I was surprised,” Sheffield admitted to reporters after Monday’s game. “I know I’ve gotten off to a rocky start, but I thought they’d give me time to figure things out.”
But if anything, it’s the team that needs time to figure things out – after jumping out to a quick 16-5 start, the Jays have slumped to a 5-8 record over the past thirteen games and while the team is still hanging onto first in the AL East by a hair, it’s clear that GM Doug Davis wasn’t waiting around.
“You know, it wasn’t any one thing – it was a combination of factors. Certainly, Sheff’s age plays into it, but I think more importantly it was the positions he plays,” Davis said. “We were concerned with our defence, particularly playing Skube in center field where he has been struggling a bit, and with Matt Winters expected to come back soon we thought it was going to be a bit of a roster crunch at the corner outfield spots.”
Until Winters returns, the Jays are expected to start light-hitting defensive specialist Bob Dernier in center field, shifting Skube to right. Phil Bradley will remain in left – but considering his paltry .690 OPS vs righties and his expiring contract, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him moved to make way for Sheffield.
When asked how long he expected Sheffield to stay down, Davis was emphatic that the demotion is expected to be a short-term situation.
“Look, I expect Sheff’ll go down to Triple-A, get his confidence back, and force his way back up here pretty quick. To be honest, we could probably keep him around in a platoon role, but that’s not entirely fair to him – we want to figure out how to get the best production out of him as a full-time player and getting some ABs at AAA is the easiest way to accomplish that right now.”
Sheffield will be replaced on the active roster by veteran catcher Ron Hassey. The 38-year-old Hassey hit .247/.290/.301 in 146 ABs with Boston last season before being released.
