According to a tweet from Shi Davidi, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired John Mayberry, Jr. from the Philadelphia Phillies. In exchange, the Phillies receive minor league infielder Gustavo Pierre.
Not a blockbuster, I know. In fact, you wonder why the Blue Jays chose to deal for Mayberry. In the 63 games in which he has played, Mayberry has a total of 138 plate appearances. He owns a slashline of .213/.304/.418 with 6 home runs and 21 RBI. Those aren’t exactly awe-inspiring numbers, but he does show a OPS+ of 101 for this season in his limited duty.
Jays Journal
Maybe the bigger reason is that Mayberry has two years of salary arbitration remaining. There’s also a chance he could re-produce his 2011 when he slashed for .273/.341/.513 with 15 HR and 49 RBI. The last two-plus seasons could make him relatively cheap. That might be something Blue Jays fans are not excited to hear.
He also will not be eligible for free agency until the 2017 season.
Mayberry has been on the disabled list due to a wrist injury. He was on a minor-league rehab assignment when the trade was made. Davidi also tweeted that Mayberry will join the team in Tampa and will be activated.
Needless to say, the news didn’t float too well with some Blue Jays fans. If you check out the Davidi tweet in which I have provided the link, you’ll notice some rather sarcastic responses. Considering how the Jays have pretty much fallen out of playoff contention, you kind of can’t blame them. This deal certainly won’t heal those wounds.