Toronto Blue Jays: Devon Travis Era ends with whimper

Devon Travis was supposed to be the Toronto Blue Jays second baseman of the future. Instead, his time with the club ended before it really had a chance to start.

Once upon a time, not that long ago, Devon Travis was expected to be the second baseman of the future for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was a former top prospect, a rare second baseman that seemed capable of producing in every manner on the diamond. The future was bright for Travis.

And that was certainly the case over his first two seasons in the majors. After bursting on the scene as a prospect in 2014, he was traded to Toronto for Anthony Gose. Travis had a strong, albeit injury shortened rookie campaign, and followed with a solid 2016 season. In his first 163 games, Travis produced a .301/.342/.469 batting line, hitting 46 doubles and 19 homers.

However, Travis could not stay healthy. A myriad of knee issues, requiring three separate surgeries, as well as shoulder woes, torpedoed his career. He played in a combined 153 games in the past three seasons, and did not play at all in 2019. When he was on the diamond, Travis disappointed, producing a meager .242/.280/.400 batting line with 32 doubles and 16 homers. he just was not the same player.

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Earlier in the week, the Blue Jays made the decision to place Travis on waivers, removing him from the 40 man roster. Given his injury history, it was not a surprise when he passed through unclaimed, allowing Toronto to assign him to AAA. Likewise, it is not a surprise that Travis rejected such an assignment, becoming a free agent.

This was not how his time in Toronto was supposed to end. Travis was to be a key part of the future, an important piece in the Blue Jays continued success. Instead, with the emergence of Cavan Biggio and prospect Kevin Smith, Travis had lost his place.

Chances are, Travis will need to settle for a minor league deal wherever he lands. However, with the ability to pick his spot, Travis could still find his way back to the majors. Of course, he will need to prove that he is healthy, and can be a productive player once again. If he can, he could be a bargain, especially with two years of team control left.

This is not how it was supposed to end for Devon Travis and the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead, his disappointing tenure with the franchise has come to an end with a whimper, as Travis refused assignment to AAA and became a free agent.