Toronto Blue Jays Michael Saunders watches his three run homer soar over the fence during first inning spring training action against the Philadelphia Phillies in Dunedin, FLa., on Saturday, March 5, 2016.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Maybe it is just as well that Michael Saunders is sticking around.
The Toronto Blue Jays left-fielder, who was rumoured to have been part of a three-team trade a couple weeks ago when training camp was getting going, belted two home runs in Saturday's 9-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
With the win at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium the Blue Jays improved their Grapefruit League record to 4-0-1. Three of those wins have come at the expense of the Phillies, who train in nearby Clearwater.
Saunders accounted for five of those runs with his two homers, his first of the spring campaign.
After Troy Tulowitzki homered off Philly starter Aaron Nola leading off the game in the first inning, Saunders jerked a three-run shot to right-field to put the Blue Jays in front 4-0.
Saunders would add a two-run job in the third with the ball ringing off the right-field foul pole.
"He looked good, big day," Toronto manager John Gibbons said of Saunders. "He needs some at bats, find his timing because he's been out so long. That's what we envisioned.
"One thing we're doing down here, swinging the bats, we're hitting homers."
Toronto has clubbed eight homers in the five games they've played.
For Saunders, the feeling of elation has been a long time coming as his career in Toronto had stalled after the Blue Jays obtained him in a trade prior to the 2015 Major League Baseball campaign.
His troubles began here last spring when Saunders tore up his knee after stepping on a sprinkle head on a field at Toronto's minor league facility.
The injury required surgery and wiped out almost the entire season for the 29-year-old.
Finally healthy heading into camp this year, Saunders then had to deal with further uncertainty about two weeks ago when a story leaked – never confirmed by the Blue Jays – that the outfielder was being traded to the Los Angeles Angels.
Part of a reported three-team deal, the Blue Jays were supposedly getting Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds.
But the deal fell apart when one of the players involved in the trade failed a medical.
Drew Hutchison, hoping to snag the one opening in the five-man rotation for Toronto, made his second start of the spring and was a bit erratic.
After being staked to a big early lead, Hutchison gave up a single, a walk and then hit a batsman to load the bases in the top of the second inning.
Hutchison then hit his second batter of the inning, Logan Moore, to force home Philadelphia's first run.
Hutchison struck out Tyler Goeddel to extract himself from the mess and he was through for the game.
On the day he gave up the one run on one hit while striking out two.