Saunders’ road back lands him in Buffalo
BUFFALO— Michael Saunders knows better than most what it’s like for a childhood dream to come true.
The Canadian didn’t just spend two years wearing the uniform of the Blue Jays team he idolized growing up. His stint included some unforgettable accomplishments, including a trip to the 2016 all-star game before a second straight run to the American League Championship Series.
“It was one of those seasons, it was kind of magical for me, to be honest with you,” the Victoria-born outfielder said Friday, one year after making the AL all-stars via fan voting. At the time, he was slashing an impressive .298/.372/.551 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs on his way to career highs in both categories.
Fast forward and things aren’t so hot for Saunders.
After hitting .178 the rest of the way last season and striking out in contract talks with the Jays, the 30-yearold signed a one-year, $8-million free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in January, nowhere near the return he was expected to command.
Even less expected? Being designated for assignment with a .205 average after just 61 games with the Phillies this season, then returning to the Jays on a minor-league deal. His struggles have continued with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he’s gone 6-for-46, a dismal .130 clip.
Getting back to The Show will take some time.
Physically, he’s working on getting his swing right. But most of his takeaways from this rough time have been mental.
“Things can happen so quick in baseball,” he said.
“Not taking anything for granted and learning to deal with failure. It’s a game surrounded by failure. You can’t get caught up in it. It’s going to happen. This has been a tough year for me as far as statistics. It’s something that I feel I’m going to come back stronger from.”
After debuting with the Seattle Mariners in July 2009 as a 22-yearold, Saunders bounced between the majors and minors for years.
“Every time I got called up when I was younger, I failed,” he said. “It was finally (after) basically a mental adjustment that I made in 2012 — believing in myself, and knowing that I belong and that I can play with the best in the world — that my career started heading in the right direction at that point. I think that’s helped me for going through what I’m going through right now.”
Attempting a comeback with the Blue Jays made sense for Saunders, who missed most of the 2015 season after stepping on a sprinkler head on a practice diamond at spring training, tearing the meniscus in his left knee.
A few teams reached out after he was released by the Phillies last month, with the Jays among the first.
“The comfort level of knowing this organization and the people that run it, the players, the teammates and obviously the situation in the big leagues, we felt like this was the best opportunity for me,” Saunders said.
With the big-league club in need of a boost after a sub.-500 first half, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was keen to see if Saunders could return to form in Buffalo. So far he hasn’t, but he feels it’s only a matter of time.
“Honestly, I’ve felt good. I’ve felt like I’ve been hitting the ball hard consistently. Don’t have much to show for it right now obviously, but more importantly it’s about professional at-bats. That’s something that I think that I’m being pretty consistent about.”
There’s also a lot of competition to contend with if the Jays place a call for outfield reinforcements, including Bisons teammates Ian Parmley and Dwight Smith Jr.
“There’s definitely depth,” said Saunders. “There’s a lot of good outfielders here in Triple A that I’ve played with. I don’t really concern myself with that, to be honest with you.
“I feel like I have to focus on what I’m doing and just trying to get better every day.”
One player Saunders can look to for inspiration is longtime friend Justin Smoak, who made the AL all-star roster with a career-best start of his own with the Jays this season. Saunders and Smoak played together with the Mariners before being traded to Toronto within days of one another in 2014. This is the first year in a long time that they haven’t had lockers side by side.
“I couldn’t get rid of the guy,” Saunders joked, adding that he was happy to see Smoak “show everyone what he’s got” after offensive struggles of his own.
Unlike his own experience, Saunders expects Smoak to keep on rolling: “The talent’s always be there. I think he clearly deserved to be an all-star. I don’t see any reason why he can’t continue.”