His for the taking
New Blue Jay Randal Grichuk aims to grab vacant right field job and never look back
While presumably ever grateful to be a major leaguer, there are two big reasons Randal Grichuk didn’t mind being sprung from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pegged as the Blue Jays’ everyday outfielder for 2018 after being acquired via trade last week, Grichuk will be expected to add offence to a Toronto attack that was much too benign last season.
However, in exiting a Cardinals clubhouse so deep with outfielders that Grichuk was afraid a bad day would send him directly to the bench, he now comes to a team that has given him a vote of confidence and happens to play in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre and similar AL East venues.
Grichuk, who was acquired from the Cards for excellent reliever Dominic Leone and pitching prospect Connor Greene, says Jays manager John Gibbons and GM Ross Atkins told him the everyday right fielder job is his for the taking.
“I think it’s probably one of the biggest things for me,” Grichuk said Tuesday on a conference call with Toronto reporters. “Being in St. Louis, we had a lot of outfielders and it was kind of looking over your shoulder. If you play good, you’re going to be in there. If you don’t, we might not be.
“It’s a tough game to play and it’s even tougher when you’re looking over your shoulder or questioning what’s going on.
“The confidence of just being able to go out there and play and you’re going to be the guy or whatever the case if I earn it in the spring, that’s a big thing for me on the mental side of being successful.”
Like most of the Jays’ acquisitions thus far this offseason, the upside is in Grichuk’s potential. Yes, he should be an automatic upgrade over Jays legend Jose Bautista, who struggled from start to finish in 2017. But Jays management believes their internal metrics see the possibility of a significant improvement by Grichuk upping his own game.
One of those areas is undoubtedly in the change of scenery. A flyball hitter, Grichuk had many a swat in Busch Stadium that he felt was crushed only to see it tail off to a routing warning-track out.
“I’m thankful to get another opportunity elsewhere but even more so in a hitterfriendly ballpark in a hitterfriendly division,” Grichuk said.
The Texas native is also pleased that he’ll get to focus on one position in the outfield rather than roaming through all three spots depending on when his number was called with the Cardinals.
“Right is actually my favourite position,” said Grichuk, who will earn $2.6 million US in 2018.
“I think to be able to stick on one and just take fly balls and ground balls in right (will be good). I feel one of my strengths is getting a jump (on the ball) and reacting quickly, but I feel my accuracy is (strong) from right field.”
The biggest issue for the Jays is offence, a point stressed by Gibbons at the team’s Winter Fest this past weekend. Toronto was last in the AL with 693 runs in 2017, foreign ground for a team accustomed to slugging its way into playoff contention.
Like the team that paid a reasonable price to acquire him, Grichuk believes he can help the Jays bats get on track. Even with a stint to the minors last season, the 26-year-old had a .238 average with 22 home runs and 25 doubles in his 442 plate appearances.
The downside is his tendency to swing and miss — he struck out 133 times last season compared to just 26 walks — but Grichuk feels a more even approach in the batter’s box will help.
“In St. Louis, a lot of times me and fellow outfielders felt if we got in the lineup you had to get a couple of hits and a walk to stay in the next day,” Grichuk said. “That wasn’t good for anybody’s confidence or state of mind stepping into the box.
“My main goal going forward is being consistent at the plate and having a good mindset.”
“I’m super excited (about coming to the Jays),” Grichuk added.
“On paper, the team is amazing. I know there’s a lot of hype on the Yankees, but I think we have a good team and it’s going to be a fun year.”