Angles in the outfield
Moves put Grichuk in an uncomfortable position.
Less than two years ago, Randal Grichuk signed a long-term extension to become a prominent piece in the Blue Jays’ rebuilding process. Now he’s caught up in a game of musical chairs that could be on the verge of leaving him without a full-time job.
Grichuk’s role was turned on its head this off-season when the Jays signed George Springer to a six-year deal worth $150 million (U.S.). With one stroke of the pen, Grichuk was downgraded from starting centrefielder to someone who wasn’t guaranteed anything other than cash.
Following an off-season when the Jays were linked to just about everyone available, Grichuk appears to be at risk of becoming the odd-man out. He’s not quite a fourth outfielder, but even with $31 million still owed to him over the next three years he will have to outplay Teoscar Hernandez and Rowdy Tellez to earn at-bats in right and at designated hitter.
That’s a big change for a guy who has been an everyday player since 2015. In Toronto, he previously was considered a lock to be in the lineup every time he showed up to the ballpark. Grichuk appeared in all but 11 of the Jays’ 162 games in 2019 and last year he missed just five. It’s a much different reality these days as the sevenyear veteran prepares for a year of uncertainty.
“They pretty much told me I’m going to move over to right,” said Grichuk, who hit .273 with 12 homers and a .793 OPS last season. “The everyday piece, I don’t really know. I think a lot is going to depend on performance. We’ve got four guys who need to play every day. Obviously that DH spot isn’t going to be available every day … so I would imagine performance based will be key and, I guess, just moving guys around.”
Grichuk said all the right things during his first media availability of the spring on Saturday afternoon. He talked openly about his willingness to switch positions, while conceding the Jays are a better team on paper with Springer than without. There were no public trade demands and to a certain extent Grichuk seemed resigned to his fate, as uncertain as it seems to be.
Still, one can’t help but wonder what he would say if the cameras weren’t rolling and there weren’t multiple representatives from the Jays listening in. Grichuk’s body language seemed to indicate he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the situation, but it’s not like there’s much he can do about it. At this point, Grichuk needs to perform to avoid being downgraded even further.
It’s not much of a consolation, but at least he wasn’t blindsided by the Springer news. He began the off-season by openly trying to recruit Trevor Bauer over social media, but it soon became apparent the club’s focus was elsewhere. There were non-stop rumours about Springer and when an erroneous report stated the Jays also agreed to terms with Michael Brantley, Grichuk thought his time with the organization was over.
The reported Brantley deal never materialized. That means Springer will be the everyday starter in centre, while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. receives the bulk of the playing time in left. Hernandez and Grichuk will battle it out in right while also splitting time with Tellez at DH. There are a lot of moving parts and it’s going to take some time before everything is finalized.
“It didn’t upset me,” Grichuk said when asked about the Jays’ aggressive pursuit of an outfielder. “I’m a professional, so I’m going to handle it professionally. I understand if they thought centre field was their major priority where we needed help, then so be it.
“I think I played a lot better last year than people think, if you want to look at the numbers. But if the situation happens where Springer is in centre and I’m in right every day — obviously it probably won’t happen every day, but if it does — I think that did make our ball club better on the defensive side of it.”
On paper, Grichuk appears to be the Jays’ fourth outfielder, but he won’t be used that way in a traditional sense. Manager Charlie Montoyo prides himself on making sure everyone on the roster stays involved and gets a lot of playing time. One reason the club is experimenting with Gurriel at first and third base on occasion is to clear the way for Grichuk and others like him to receive more at-bats.
This isn’t going to be a situation where Grichuk completely disappears and only plays once a week. He’s going to be used a lot more than that, but until someone gets hurt he won’t come close to approaching the number of at-bats he would normally expect.
The partnership isn’t ideal for anyone. Grichuk, while excited about playing for a contender, views himself as an everyday player and wants to remain in that role. The Jays would be more than happy to accommodate that request by moving him to another team, but with an annual salary of $10.3 million through the end of 2023, that’s not going to be easy.
So, at least for now, these two parties are stuck with each other and will try to make the best of an awkward arrangement. It’s not Grichuk’s fault he signed a long-term deal; the Jays’ front office came forward with that offer. Not even two years later, that decision has already backfired with a lot of money owed to someone without a defined role, money that would have been better spent upgrading the starting rotation.
That’s the business side of baseball that Grichuk can’t concern himself with. His entire focus must be on winning regular at-bats and exceeding expectations. It’s the only way the Blue Jays and Grichuk will eventually get out of what has the potential to become a very sticky situation.