Feeder league changes speed up journey to MLB
The long and winding road to the big leagues may have just become noticeably more direct for young professional baseball players.
And in the process, the Toronto Blue Jays hope the process of player development will get significantly more efficient following Wednesday's long-speculated reorganization of baseball's traditional feeder program.
The gutting overhaul of baseball's expansive minorleague system, which has been in the works for months, caps the number of minor-league affiliates per franchise at four. In theory, that limits the opportunity for young players. In practice, however, given the emphasis on high-tech player development by some clubs including the Jays, the rigid road map to get to the major leagues should be more flexible.
Under the reorganization, the Jays' top two farm teams — the triple-a Buffalo Bisons and double-a New Hampshire Fisher Cats — will remain the same. Below those two clubs, the upheaval begins in earnest.
The Vancouver Canadians, previously a short-season team where many young draft picks got their first taste of pro ball, will be moving to high-a, replacing the Dunedin Blue Jays at that level. Dunedin will remain in the Florida State League, which will be designated as single-a.
With the contraction hitting all of minor-league ball, the Jays no longer have affiliation with the Lansing Lugnuts (who have been picked up by the Oakland Athletics) and the Bluefield Blue Jays.
The developments in Vancouver and Dunedin figure to have a significant impact on the Jays' pipeline for a number of reasons.
Perhaps most notable is the role of Dunedin as the Jays' development hub. With the multimillion-dollar expansion of the team's training facility nearing completion, the team believes it will have among the best facilities in baseball.
Located across town from TD Ballpark where the Jays play spring training games, the stateof-the-art complex will be the focal point for players to develop in a different environment that has traditionally been the norm for decades.
“The overall square footage, the layout ... so many resources there for us to improve and get better,” Jays GM Ross Atkins said recently. “It's remarkable, a great opportunity.”
There is a sense around baseball that the reorganization — a move that was probably coming but accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis — will speed up development and promotion through the ranks. With two fewer affiliates, there will be less emphasis on in-game performance and more opportunities to focus on health, fitness and technical expertise.
In theory, more talented players could be expedited through the system faster than the traditional route, which has been in place for decades.
OH CANADIANS
As the high-a affiliate now, there will be changes for the Canadians, notably a much longer season in the 130-game range.
In recent years, ownership preferred the shortened season to take advantage of the best weather on the Pacific coast.
Though several prominent Jays have played in Vancouver, as the high-a affiliate, almost every prospect will go through the Nat
on their way to the big leagues.
Meanwhile, Postmedia's Steve Ewen reports that officials in Vancouver lobbied Jays owner Rogers Communications on the importance of having an affiliate on the West Coast. That significance was something the team acknowledged via statement.
“As this country's only Major League Baseball team, the club takes great pride in maintaining a west coast presence, introducing future Blue Jays players to Canadian fans and helping grow the game nationally,” the statement said.
Though attendance may lag in the early months of the season, Vancouverites have embraced the Jays affiliation, cramming into “the Nat,” an idyllic facility with a great vibe. Now that atmosphere will be accentuated with a higher-calibre product.
Back in Dunedin, the shortened season in the Florida State League may lead to another advantage for the parent club. Though the team hasn't given up on beginning the season in Toronto, that prospect seems increasingly unlikely.
Given the weather in Buffalo in April and May, the smart money might be on TD Ballpark being the Jays' home to at least start the season.
THIRD DEGREE
Vlad Guerrero Jr. continues his campaign to return to third base for the Jays and plans to prove it with his winter-league play in the Dominican Republic.
Playing for Leones del Escogido, Guerrero was 0-for-4 in his season debut as a DH on Tuesday and was expected to get the start at third on Wednesday.
“I came to Escogido to play third base and prepare to play third,” Guerrero said through a translator via Mlb.com. “That's one of the main things I'm here for. I'm going to focus on third.
“Next year, I'm going to play third base.”
While the Jays haven't closed the door completely on Guerrero at third, they certainly aren't handing it to him. That means that first base is still an option, even though it might not sit well with the 21-year-old.