Perhaps the big winner in the Toronto Blue Jays overnight wheeling and dealing heading into Tuesday’s Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline is Anthony Gose.
With fan-favorite Travis Snider shipped off to the contending Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for middle-reliever Brad Lincoln, Gose has likely sewn up a roster spot with the Blue Jays for the remainder of the season.
The 21-year-old was promoted from Triple-A when Jose Bautista went on the disabled list on July 17.
Three days later, after the Blue Jays completed a 10-player swap with the Houston Astros that landed them starter-in-waiting J.A. Happ, Snider was also summoned to the big league club from Triple A.
The Blue Jays said that one of either Snider or Gose would be relegated back to the minors once Bautista was healthy.
With Snider now being dispatched to Pittsburgh, Gose – and his .179 batting average – has apparently won that battle.
The Blue Jays also snagged another reliever, sending outfielder Eric Thames to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-hander Steve Delabar.
Snider is only 24, but it seems like he has been around the Blue Jays forever.
A first-round pick, 14th overall, by Toronto in 2006, Snider was fast-tracked to the Major Leagues, making his debut with Toronto on Aug. 29, 2008.
The following season, Snider was in the opening day lineup, which lasted until May 20th when he was sent back down to the minors after hitting just .242.
That was the start of Snider’s yo-yo like existence with the Blue Jays, an existence that many felt hurt his big-league development.
Snider, however, was never one to complain about the way he was treated by the Blue Jays.
“Experiencing what I have, I’ve definitely learned a lot from that and moving forward, the mindset has to stay the same,” Snider was quoted by MLB.com after the trade was announced.
“What I’ve worked hard to develop is to take things one day at a time and controlling what I can control. I’m going to work hard for the Pittsburgh Pirates and go out there and play hard every day.”
Snider said that come the trade deadline you never know what might happen.
“Trade deadline, you expect moves to be made, you never know if it’s going to be you,” Snider said.
“Thank you to everybody in Toronto, the organization, the fans and can’t say thank you enough for sticking with me through this journey and looking forward to a new opportunity.”
Lincoln is under club control through 2018 and appears to have been acquired to become a long-term solution in middle relief although there is speculation the Blue Jays will look at making him a starter.
Lincoln, a first-round draft pick in 2006 – 4th overall – by the Pirates in 2006, has made five starts with Pittsburgh this year, going 2-2 with a 6.08 ERA.
He has also appeared in another 23 games as a reliever, going 2-0 with an 0.50 ERA, allowing just three runs in 35.2 IP.
