Arizona Diamondbacks: Jon Jay’s addition provides much-needed depth
By Kyle Cardoza
Since A.J. Pollock suffered an injury, the Arizona Diamondbacks have been downright terrible hitting-wise. Thus, the front office acquired Jon Jay Wednesday to give the team a boost.
The Arizona Diamondbacks kicked off the summer trade stretch Wednesday. But instead of acquiring a consistent middle infielder or additional starting pitcher, the front office reeled in outfielder Jon Jay from the Royals.
Jay doesn’t offer much more than a consistent hitter – for average – with limited power. But it could result in being a valuable exchange, especially considering the team’s issues in right field.
Arizona’s offense has declined considerably since All-Star A.J. Pollock went down with a fractured thumb. Jarrod Dyson, his replacement, has been miserable at the plate. His current slash is .206/.304/.298.
It seems that right field might be an even bigger issue. The Diamondbacks brought in Steven Souza Jr. in the offseason. Souza, coming off a breakout year in which he swatted 30 bombs and swiped 16 bases, has been a disappointment.
The poor numbers in that spot don’t end with Souza, though.
As a whole Arizona receives essentially no production from anyone surveying right field. Diamondbacks players in that position own a paltry .161 average, worst in the MLB. Only Angels right fielders own a worse OPS.
That’s why bringing Jay into the mix makes sense. And the move also sheds light into their ailing outfielders’ recovery. Given that the front office didn’t acquire a more productive – and valued – player, it must expect Pollock and Souza to return sooner rather than later.
Acquiring Jay would suggest the Diamondbacks aren't satisfied with what they're getting from their outfield, although I don't think it means anything significant about the recoveries of AJ Pollock or Steven Souza Jr.
— Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) June 7, 2018
Moreover, Arizona didn’t pay much to obtain the outfielder. One National League executive said it was a fair trade, per the Athletic’s Zach Buchanan. Scouts stated the only somewhat worthwhile prospect in the deal was Elvis Luciano, who has potential to become a No. 3 starter at best. That’s if everything works out for him.
Altogether, after contemplating about all of this, it’s appropriate to question how big of an impact the 33-year-old journeyman will make.
How much value does Jay offer the D-backs?
The fact that this is Jay’s fourth team in three years speaks volumes. And the outfielder didn’t technically own an everyday spot in either of those venues.
Nevertheless, he’s remarkably consistent.
His career numbers at the plate are somewhat enticing for a team having issues getting on base. Jay owns a .290 career average with a .356 on-base percentage. He also posted a career-best .374 on-base percentage last season for Chicago.
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Though Jay gets on base frequently, he doesn’t hit for power. He never has.
Jay clubbed double-digit home runs just once in his career, and his highest-ever slugging percentage is .424. To put that in perspective, that would rank about 95th in the league today. It ranked 82nd back in 2011.
The new Arizona hitter also boasts excellent fielding ability wherever he plays in the field. He has a few defensive runs saved so far this year. However, he’s struggled in that category in right field.
Nevertheless, there’s nothing in Jay’s game that convinces anyone that he’s better than average. Yet, for a team that currently has one of the worst hitting outfield crew in the league, the exchange might be rewarding.
Manager Torey Lovullo will likely utilize him as a starter until his unit is completely healthy. Then it seems that Jay will platoon, just like he always has in his career.
The most surprising aspect of Jay’s career has been his postseason experience. Whatever team he was on made the playoffs in six of his eight campaigns so far. Superstitious Diamondbacks fans will be happy to see that.
Next: Why was Arizona so bad in May?
Jay isn’t a superstar outfielder. But he does what Arizona hitters haven’t down throughout the past month – get on base and score runs.