Toronto Star

Biggio can see the value in his versatilit­y

- Gregor Chisholm

Do you feel Cavan Biggio’s long-term developmen­t, career aspiration­s and financial potential will be harmed if the Jays continue to see his role as a jack of all trades? Does he not have enough skill to be a regular position player, if not with the Jays then with another team? Do you sense his temperamen­t prevents him from making comments in this regard? —

Richard

I’m not a big fan of the Jays’ obsession with developing their players at multiple positions. But Biggio is the ultimate profession­al who will do whatever is asked without complaints. While he admittedly would prefer to play one position, he sees the value in moving all over the field. Biggio’s future earnings will be largely tied to his offence, but positional versatilit­y is only going to help him out. There’s a reason he’s frequently compared to Ben Zobrist; that’s the type of player the Jays envision him turning into.

Do you know of any other team with as little spring training game coverage as the Jays? I get there’s a cost associated but how much could it cost to run a radio feed of a game to keep fans interested? — Allan, St. John’s, Newfoundla­nd

The lack of spring coverage is more common than you might think. Sportsnet is broadcasti­ng 10 Jays games, only three of which will be produced internally, but that’s not out of line with what a lot of other networks are doing.

The biggest difference can be found on the radio side where most teams have dedicated broadcasts and the Jays do not. It’s a trend that is set to continue throughout the regular season with Sportsnet as the only rights holder to date that has decided to simulcast its television broadcasts. Even if there were precedents to follow, that doesn’t make Sportsnet’s decision a good one. They own multiple television and radio stations, they even own the team. This is a missed opportunit­y to market the product and generate some buzz leading into opening day.

Submit your Blue Jays questions to bluejaysma­ilbag@gmail.com or on Twitter @GregorChis­holm. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

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