Blue Jays compile IFA shortstops after Sasaki setback.
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The Toronto Blue Jays have loaded up on international free agent shortstops after the Roki Sasaki setback.
Even if Roki Sasaki had decided to head north, the Toronto Blue Jays were determined to find a way to keep all of their international free-agent commitments this year, complicated as doing so would have been.
When Sasaki opted for the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was also a small bit of relief as the years of work following a group headlined by shortstops Christopher Polanco, Juan Sanchez, Elaineiker Coronado and Kennew Blanco could be realized.
Andrew Tinnish, the Blue Jays' Vice President of international scouting and baseball operations spoke on the subject to Sportsnet.
«This is the most excited I've been in a while about a group,» said Tinnish. «We've got two extremely skilled, left-handed hitting shortstops who can really hit in Polanco and Coronado. And then the other two guys, Sanchez and Blanco, they're both six-two, six-three, they both have a chance to be what I would call big shortstops.»
That top-end foursome - Polanco signed for $2.3 million, Sanchez $1 million, Coronado $800,000 and Blanco $600,000 - was among the 22 players signed after Sasaki's decision and it was no guarantee all would be there for the taking.
During the two-and-a-half days of limbo between the opening of the signing period and his Jan. 17 Instagram announcement, the Blue Jays were concerned about possible attempts by other clubs to lure their targets.
Once signed, the deals ate up the majority, but not the entirety, of the club's $6,261,600 signing bonus pool, although the Blue Jays still have an extra $2 million beyond that, acquired from Cleveland - along with $11 million of the money still owed to outfielder Myles Straw - as a gesture to Sasaki.
Christopher Polanco, a left-handed hitter from the Dominican Republic, who's five-foot-11 and 180 pounds, described by Tinnish as «super-tooled up and twitchy.»
His strength plus his ability to get to pitches all over the zone and handle velocity give the Blue Jays confidence that he'll continue to hit as he moves up the ladder.
«He can kind of do a bit of everything,» says Tinnish. «He's got a chance to have plus tools across the board.»
Juan Sanchez, who at six-foot-three and 200 pounds seems primed to outgrow shortstop, has actually gotten better at the position over the past couple of years the Blue Jays have followed him.
The right-handed hitting Dominican moves and runs well with an above-average arm that will play at third base if needed, but for now he has the potential to stay at short and hit with power there.
«As he gets bigger and stronger, he also moves faster, runs faster, becomes more explosive, so to speak,» Tinnish said. «You worry he's going to put on 30 pounds, but his 20-25 pounds extra is actually making him faster and making him look more like a shortstop, not less. It's like that tall, lean, wide-shoulder, tapered sort of body where adding weight strength doesn't just equal more power but equals more range, more speed, as well.»
Elaineiker Coronado, a Venezuelan in the five-foot-10, 180 range, is more similar in build to Polanco, while the six-foot-two Blanco, a right-hander, more closely resembles Sanchez, although each brings different attributes.
Tinnish called Coronado «probably the best pure baseball player, he knows how to play the game, does everything, smart,» with a good approach and swing that should produce some gap power, if not more.
Kennew Blanco, another Venezuelan, is a bit less refined but has shown the ability to both hit and hit for power, with enough athleticism to give himself a chance to remain at shortstop.
SOURCE: Sportsnet
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