Here come the kids
Jays rebuild in high gear with Reid-Foley and Jansen set to make MLB debuts
The Blue Jays rebuild is gaining momentum and the auditions are in full flight.
The club recalled two players from triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, catcher Danny Jansen and right-handed starter Sean Reid-Foley.
That pair joins a Blue Jays team already full of recent minor league callups, including left-handed starters Ryan Borucki and Thomas Pannone. Shortstop Richard Urena was recalled from Buffalo last week while infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., was summoned from double-A New Hampshire on April 20. Gurriel is on the DL with a left ankle sprain but is expected to be back soon.
The word is that Reid-Foley will start in Kansas City on Monday night with Jansen catching.
The reason for Jansen being recalled is because third baseman Yangervis Solarte has been placed on the 10-day DL with a right oblique injury suffered while swinging at a pitch in Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Jays’ No.1 catcher, Russell Martin, will play third while Solarte and Josh Donaldson are out. Donaldson is still recovering from left calf tightness.
In any event, the Jays are starting to look like a team embarking on a full-blown rebuild, partly because of injuries, but also because they want to see what some of their young guys such as Reid-Foley and Jansen can do in the big leagues.
Jansen, who hit .275/.390/.473 with 12 home runs in 88 games with the Bisons, said he was actually in a game against Toledo at CocaCola Field in Buffalo and getting ready to bat when word got out that he was heading up to Toronto.
“I was sitting in the hole, we were hitting, and the phone rang in the dugout and Jeff Stevenson (transaction coordinator) was there filling in for Bob Tarpey our trainer and he whispered something to our hitting coach, and then they were both trying to get a hold of (manager) Bobby Meacham at third base,” said the 23-year-old.
“As soon as that happened, they looked at me and they gave the ‘can’t play anymore’ (sign).’ And soon as that happened, I was just like: ‘Is this really happening right now?’ I started hugging my teammates and that’s when Meach brought me in and told me.
“He said: ‘Kid, you’re going to the big leagues.’ I don’t want to see you again,’” added Jansen. “So it was awesome. It’s like something I’ve never felt before. An amazing feeling. It really sunk in when I called my parents and got to talk to them. Some tears came out so everybody’s happy, everybody’s excited, and my brother actually lives in Kansas City, so it’s a pretty awesome moment.”
The Appleton, Wisc., native enjoyed a breakout season in 2017 and has carried that over to this year, appearing in the Futures Game prospect showcase during MLB’s all-star week festivities in July.
Reid-Foley, 22, got the word he was also going to the big leagues for the first time on Saturday afternoon when Meacham and pitching coach Bob Stanley gave him the news.
“I called my dad first and then my mom,” said the 6-foot-3 right-hander, who is a combined 12-4 with a 2.98 ERA over a combined 23 starts at Buffalo and double-A New Hampshire this season.
“My mom and my sisters are over in Ireland so they won’t be able to make the outing. But it’s nice because my sisters and my mom are seeing where my ancestors are from, so I told them not to worry about it, enjoy their time over there. And then I called my brother after that.”
Jansen was selected by the Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2013 June draft while the Reid-Foley went in the second round the following year.
Reid-Foley had an excellent season in 2016 in the minors but struggled last year, going 10-11 with a 5.09 in 27 starts at New Hampshire before bouncing back this season.
“Something that we harped on everyday and worked on (this season) was fastball command,” said Reid-Foley. “Down and away to each hitter and getting over the baseball. And once I started to get better at that and repeating it, it helped with the results I was getting.”