Blue Jays Rumors: Toronto Inclined to Keep Travis Snider

Sunday the Toronto Blue Jays announced that Eric Thames would be the club’s regular left fielder.  In a corresponding move, former top prospect Travis Snider was optioned to the minors where he will begin the season.  The move led some to speculate that the Blue Jays may shop Snider this spring.  However, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports has spoken with several executives who believe the Blue Jays are inclined to keep Snider.

Morosi tweeted that, according to a couple of unnamed executives that have been following the market for outfielders, the Blue Jays are unlikely to trade Snider, at least at this point.

Still only 24, Snider is young enough to be considered a prospect.  However, the former first round pick has spent parts of the past four seasons at the major league level with the Blue Jays.

Snider has mostly held his own, but his minor league success has yet to carry over at the major league level.  Snider’s performance was especially poor last season when he only managed a line of .225/.269/.348 over his 202 plate appearances with the Blue Jays.  Over his four seasons with the Blue Jays, Snider sports a career OPS of .730 compared to his minor league mark of .901.

Now, with no options remaining beyond the 2012 season, the Blue Jays must decide what they want to do with Snider.

Thames, a seventh round selection taken a year after Snider, posted gaudy numbers at Triple-A last season.  The 25-year-old hit at a clip of .352/423/.610 for Las Vegas before getting called up by Toronto.  Over his 394 plate appearances with the Blue Jays last season, Thames maintained an OPS of .769 with 12 home runs, 24 doubles and 5 triples.

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