The Toronto Blue Jays made a lot of changes to their roster before the season began, looking to make up for a brutal World Series defeat by bolstering the pitching staff.
And in the start of the season so far, that emphasis on pitching has paid off.
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“The Blue Jays started the 50th season in team history by striking out 50 batters in their opening series against the Athletics, setting the major league record for strikeouts in the first three games of the season,” the Associated Press reported. “Kevin Gausman set a Blue Jays Opening Day record by striking out 11 batters in six innings Friday. Dylan Cease fanned 12 Saturday, the most by any pitcher making his Blue Jays debut. Eric Lauer struck out nine Sunday as Toronto won the finale 5-2.”
As the Blue Jays move forward in the marathon baseball season, they’ll be hoping for ongoing contributions from those pitchers, along with strong starts from newcomer Cody Ponce, continued success for veteran Max Scherzer and healthy returns for Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage.
But aside from their changes to the pitching staff, the Blue Jays also made a notable infield swap in the offseason, as it brought in Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto and lost long-time shortstop Bo Bichette.
Toronto Blue Jays Lose Promising Infielder, Gain Another In Miami Marlins Trade
The Blue Jays’ new-look infield should now be in place for the foreseeable future, but on Sunday, news broke that the team had acquired a young infielder who could be a difference maker for the franchise down the line.
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“The Miami Marlins acquired INF Leo Jimenez from the Blue Jays in exchange for infielder Dub Gleed and $250K in international bonus pool money,” Major League Baseball insider Francys Romero reported on X, formerly Twitter.
While the Blue Jays lost an infielder in Jimenez as part of the transaction, he is out of minor league options and seemed headed to another team via waivers before the trade. Gleed, on the other hand, should be a longer-term piece in the Blue Jays’ farm system.
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Toronto Blue Jays Add 23-Year-Old Infielder In Trade
“The 23-year-old Gleed was a ninth-round pick for the Marlins in the 2024 draft, and his first season of pro ball saw Gleed make it all the way to Triple-A, albeit for just one game,” Mark Polishuk wrote for MLB Trade Rumors after the report. “Gleed hit .252/.391/.347 over 275 plate appearances at four different Marlins affiliates, with most of his playing time coming at the A-ball and Double-A levels. Gleed primarily split time between the two corner infield positions, and also appeared in a game apiece as a second baseman and as a catcher.”
Following some significant changes to the Blue Jays’ infield, the team seems to have acquired a potential future piece with some positional flexibility.