Toronto Blue Jays: The 2010s All-Decade team

Over the past decade, the Toronto Blue Jays have experienced both the highs of playoff baseball and the lows of rebuilding the roster from the ground up.

Since 2010, the Toronto Blue Jays have seen their lineup turn over a few times.

There was the Blue Jays-Marlins trade in 2012, as well as the trade for R.A. Dickey with the New York Mets, and the prospect development of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette over the past few years.

In 2015 and 2016, the Toronto Blue Jays made the playoffs, but unfortunately did not reach the World Series in each of those attempts.

While the team is now currently in a rebuild with a younger core, there have been some bright spots in the lineup this past decade.

Russell Martin, Catcher

• 2015 – 2018 (4 seasons)
• 1x All-Star (2015)
• 66 home runs; 211 RBI’s
• 99 OPS+; 7.7 bWAR
• 447 games

Russell Martin signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in the off-season of 2014/2015 on a 5 year, $82 million dollar contract.

Known for his defensive abilities and his veteran leadership, Martin’s best year in Toronto came in 2015, where he would slash .240/.329/.458 with 23 home runs, 77 RBI, and an OPS of 112. As the seasons wore on, the Blue Jays would use Martin around the horn as well, putting him at third base on the odd occasion, as well as in the outfield for a few spot starts.

The one thing that made Martin special on the Blue Jays roster is that he was Canadian, speaking French during interviews when necessary, and interacting with Canadian fans regularly. There are not too many Canadian baseball players in the MLB, and to have a prolific player like Martin play on Canada’s only team was quite special for fans across the country.

Martin would be traded during the 2018/2019 off-season to the Los Angeles Dodgers, making way for the younger catching prospects to take over the full time duties.

All-Decade Blue Jays Infield

First Base/Designated Hitter: Edwin Encarnacion

• 2009-2016 (8 seasons)
• 3x All-Star (2013, 2014, and 2016)
• 239 Home Runs; 679 RBI
• 136 OPS+; 24.3 bWAR
• 999 games

Edwin Encarnacion came to the Blue Jays via trade midway through the 2009 season. Scott Rolen would head to the Cincinnati Reds, and in return, the Blue Jays received a package of players that included Encarnacion.

He would spend a few years with the organization before breaking out in 2012, where he would slash .280/.384/.557 with 42 home runs and 110 RBI. Although he wouldn’t be nominated to the All-Star game this year, he would follow up with a very similar campaign in 2013, earning an All-Star nomination for the first time in his career.

For his Blue Jays career, Edwin split most of his time between 1B and DH, which is why he receives both honors on the All-Decade team. He would slash .268/.355/.522 during the 999 games he played with the team and was known for ‘walking the parrot‘ every time he rounded 1st base after hitting a home run. He would also demolish a home run during the extra innings of the 2016 A.L. Wild Card game against the Baltimore Orioles, cementing himself in Blue Jays history.

Encarnacion would leave the team during free agency in the 2016/2017 off-season, signing a deal with the Cleveland Indians. A reunion could be in the midst of this off-season, as Encarnacion is a free agent, but all signs are pointing to the Blue Jays passing veteran players for younger, controllable options whether internally or externally.

All-Decade Blue Jays Infield

Devon Travis, Second Base

• 2015-2018 (4 seasons)
• 35 Home Runs; 153 RBI’s
• 101 OPS+; 6.6 bWAR
• 316 games

If this article was writing about the 2000-2010 All-Decade team, then Aaron Hill would most likely win this honor. Unfortunately, Hill would be traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 on the heels of a rough two years, leaving a merry-go-round of infielders to play second over the next decade.

Devon Travis was acquired by the Blue Jays from the Detroit Tigers in 2014 and would make his debut for the organization in 2015.

During his time with the Blue Jays, Travis has been a consistent player when he is healthy and on the field. Travis has only mustered 316 games through the past 4 seasons due to various injuries, mostly having to do with his knees. He was able to muster a .274/.314/.437 slash line when he was healthy, with the 2015 and 2016 seasons being his best statistical years.

His stats would begin to trend downwards after the 2016 season, and he was out-righted to the minors this off-season after not playing a single game during the 2019 campaign. The Toronto Blue Jays did not want to offer him arbitration and Travis is now currently a free agent.

Devon Travis is a player that really could have been something special if he just could get the injury monkey off his back and stay on the field.

This position was pretty difficult to find a real winner for the All-Decade team slot, as the Blue Jays have used approximately 38 different players at second base during the 2010-2019 seasons. Cavan Biggio is currently at second base, and if he was in the majors a few years ago, he would probably take this honor over Travis.

In the end, Travis had the best bWAR out of the 38 players and one of the better slash lines, he was just never healthy enough to be around long term.

All-Decade Blue Jays Infield

Yunel Escobar & Jose Reyes, Shortstop

             Yunel Escobar                                         Jose Reyes

• 2010-2012 (3 seasons)                         2013-2015 (2.5 seasons)
• 24 Home Runs; 115 RBI’s                     23 Home Runs; 122 RBI’s
• 93 OPS+; 8.6 bWAR                                105 OPS+; 6.2 bWAR

This is another close area to award All-Decade honors, as both Yunel Escobar and Jose Reyes could both earn the honors as they are similar in quite a few categories.

Troy Tulowitzki was also acquired during this decade, but he could not replicate his success in Toronto like he previously accomplished with the Colorado Rockies, as well as dealing with a multitude of injuries.

For Yunel Escobar, he had a Blue Jays career slash line of .272/.335/.373 and was considered an average fielder at the position. He was able to make consistent plays that a shortstop would need to make, but he did also have 35 errors in the three seasons he played in Toronto.

Jose Reyes had a similar but slightly better slash line of .289/.334/.404, but was terrible on defense. He committed 41 errors in the 2.5 seasons he suited up for the Blue Jays, and routinely had balls go through his legs into the outfield on numerous occasions.

When comparing the two players, Reyes does have a better batting average and slugging percentage, as well as a higher OPS+. On the flip side, Escobar does squeak ahead of Reyes in terms of on-base percentage and does have 2.4 more points in bWAR. While Reyes does have half a season less than Escobar (he was traded midway through the 2015 season), he would post a -0.2 bWAR with the Rockies for the rest of the season.

These two players tie in the long run because no matter what argument you stand on in terms of WAR versus OPS versus defense, each player has some points in the win column and some in the losing column.

All-Decade Blue Jays Outfield

Melky Cabrera, Left Field

• 2013-2014 (2 seasons)
• 19 Home Runs; 103 RBI’s
• 112 OPS+; 3.4 bWAR
• 227 games

The Toronto Blue Jays have really not had a prominent left fielder over the past decade, with multiple players being thrust into the role such as Ezequiel Carrera, Rajai Davis, and Travis Snider. The only player to really produce in this position during the past decade was outfielder Melky Cabrera.

Brought in during the 2012/2013 off-season, Cabrera was fresh off a shortened 2012 season where he was suspended 50 games for taking a banned performance-enhancing supplement/substance.

His first season was not very eventful with the Blue Jays, where he would only play in 88 games due to knee injuries and surgery to remove a benign tumor on his spine.

It was 2014 where Cabrera would really shine, where he would suit up in 139 games and would slash .301/.351./.458 along with 16 home runs and 73 RBI’s. He was performing well until breaking his right pinky finger in early September and would end up missing the rest of the month/season because of the injury.

His career slash with the Toronto Blue Jays was an impressive .293/.340/.421, where he would also smack 50 doubles and 66 walks to go along with his 19 home runs and 103 RBI’s.

Melky Cabrera would be extended a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, which he would later reject and sign with the Chicago White Sox during the 2014/2015 off-season. He spent the 2019 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

All-Decade Blue Jays Outfield

Kevin Pillar, Center Field

• 2013-2019 (7 seasons)
• 55 Home Runs; 231 RBI’s
• 86 OPS+; 14.3 bWAR
• 695 games

While superheroes are mostly reserved for one’s imagination and comic books, Kevin ‘Superman’ Pillar was as close as they come in the world of professional baseball.

Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 32nd round of the 2011 amateur draft, Pillar would quickly work his way up the Blue Jays farm system due to his presence at the plate and excellent defense.

His first two seasons in the MLB were spent both shuttling between Toronto and AAA Buffalo, and would finally make the Toronto Blue Jays for a full season in 2015. He would spend time in the other outfield positions in 2013 and 2014 until becoming the Blue Jays de-facto center fielder in 2015.

His career slash line with the Toronto Blue Jays sits at .260/.297/.396, with his low walk rate contributing to the OBP being almost 40 points from his batting average. The most walks he would have in a single season was in 2017, where he would walk on base 33 times in 154 games.

Kevin Pillar was known for his strong defensive ability, with his quick reflexes and stellar co-ordination that produced highlight real catches year after year. He would also be nominated for the A.L. Gold Glove Award on numerous occasions during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, but would never bring home the award.

In 2019, the Toronto Blue Jays would trade Kevin Pillar to the San Francisco Giants just a few days into the season, sending one of the longest-tenured players on the team to the West Coast. He would have a productive season with the Giants, enough to earn him a single MVP vote in the National League.

All-Decade Blue Jays Outfield

Jose Bautista, Right Field

• 2008-2017 (10 seasons)
• 6x All-Star; 3x Silver Slugger
• 288 Home Runs; 766 RBI’s
• 136 OPS+; 37.3 bWAR
• 1235 games

When fans think of the Toronto Blue Jays, one player that usually comes to mind is Jose Bautista.

Bautista was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2008 season, where he was seeing limited success and was shuttling between AAA and the MLB before eventually arriving in Toronto.

After being utilized at 3B and RF for two seasons, it was in 2010 that Bautista started to make most of his starts in right field and would cement his spot in the right corner over the next 7 years.

It was also in 2010 where Bautista had his first breakout season, where he would lead the MLB in home runs (54) and total bases (351). In 2011, Bautista would once again lead multiple MLB categories when it came to home runs (43), walks (132), slugging (.608), OPS (1.056), and OPS+ (182).

In 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays would make the playoffs and Jose Bautista would arguably hit the second-biggest home run in Blue Jays history (the first being Joe Carter and his World Series clincher back in 1993). After an up and down 7th inning during Game 5 of the ALDS, Bautista drove a ball over the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays a three-run lead. Immediately following the monumental home run, Bautista would then produce one of the best and most controversial bat flips in all of baseball history (depending on which fans you ask).

After the 2015 season, Bautista’s offense would slowly start to slip over the next two seasons, and the team began nudging him towards the exit sign by the end of the 2017 season.

In the 2017/2018 off-season, the Toronto Blue Jays would decline his $17.5 million dollar option, which would officially end his tenure with the team. He would bounce around a few different teams in 2018 and would not sign with any team in 2019. He is currently considered a free agent.

Jose Bautista was able to accomplish a lot during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the organization puts his name in the Level of Excellence once he formally retires.

All-Decade Blue Jays Starter

Marcus Stroman, Starting Pitcher

• 2014-2019 (5.5 seasons)
• 1x All-Star (2019); 1x Gold Glove Award (2017)
• 635 Strikeouts
• 3.76 ERA; 13.4 bWAR; 1.278 WHIP
• 135 games; 129 starts

One of the highly touted Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospects this past decade, Marcus Stroman came into the MLB firing on all cylinders.

Known for his outlandish personality both on and off the field, Stroman was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the 2012 amateur draft. The Duke product would bullrush his way through the minor league system, where he would make his debut with the team in 2014. There were talks of Stroman possibly making the roster in 2013, but he was handed a 50 game suspension late in 2012 for using a performance-enhancing substance (which he claims he unknowingly ingested the substance through a supplement he was taking). This would delay his MLB debut to 2014.

Stroman would pitch well in his first season, throwing to a 3.65 ERA while starting 20 games for the Blue Jays. He was dealt a significant blow in 2015, where a spring training bunting drill would see Stroman tear his ACL, sidelining him for most of the season. Widely figured to be a season-ending injury, Stroman would rehab back at his alma matter in North Carolina, eventually becoming healthy enough to pitch in the regular season as well as the postseason later that year.

The next few seasons would see Marcus go through the highs and lows of his young professional career, with his best seasons coming in both 2017 and 2019.

The low of Stroman’s career would come during the 2018 campaign, where his ERA ballooned to 5.54 and he would spend a good part of the season on the injured list. He would also go on to surrender almost the same amount of earned runs when compared to his best seasons in 2017 and 2019.

In the off-season between 2018/2019, tensions started to boil between Stroman and the Toronto Blue Jays management, where it seemed like the two sides were heading to a messy divorce. The relationship would finally come to an end a few days before the trade deadline, with the Toronto Blue Jays sending Stroman to the New York Mets for a package of prospects, signaling an end to another one of the Blue Jays longest-tenured players on the roster.

All-Decade Blue Jays Relief Pitcher

Casey Janssen, Relief Pitcher

• 2006-2014 (8 seasons)
• 368 strikeouts; 90 saves
• 3.52 ERA; 7.5 bWAR; 1.219 WHIP
• 389 games; 533.0 innings

The Toronto Blue Jays would use their 4th round pick in the 2003 amateur draft on pitcher Casey Janssen, who at the time was a starter for UCLA.

He would make his debut in 2006, where he would post a 5.07 ERA and would start 17 games for the Toronto Blue Jays.

In 2007, the Blue Jays moved Janssen to the bullpen in a set-up role, where he began to excel and posted some of the best numbers of his career while also appearing in a career-high 70 games. This success would unfortunately not translate to 2008, where he would miss the entire season and part of the 2009 campaign recovering from a torn labrum suffered in his right throwing shoulder.

For the next 6 years, Janssen would make 5 spot starts for the Blue Jays, and would see his bullpen role change from middle relief/set-up to the closer prior to the 2012 season. While he had saved 9 games prior to 2012, the role was Janssens to lose for the next two seasons. He would go on to finish 133 games and rack up 81 saves from 2012-2014.

During the 2014/2015 off-season, Janssen became a free agent and would go on to sign a 1 year deal with the Washington Nationals. He would pitch to a 4.95 ERA and would not be brought back to the Nationals the following season.

Following the 2015 season, Janssen would sign minor league deals with the Boston Red Sox and the San Diego Padres but would fail to make the MLB during both of those stints. His last season of professional baseball was in the Mexican League with Acereros del Norte in 2017.

All-Decade Blue Jays Closer

Roberto Osuna, Closer

• 2015-2018 (3.5 seasons)
• 253 strikeouts; 104 saves
• 2.87 ERA; 5.8 bWAR; 0.919 WHIP
• 221 games

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At 16 years old, Roberto Osuna was signed out of Mexico by the Toronto Blue Jays and would spend three seasons in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in 2015.

Known for his sharp fastball with a fast-moving slider, 20-year-old Roberto Osuna became the Blue Jays closer when Casey Janssen left the team via free agency the off-season prior.

In his first year of MLB baseball, Osuna would collect 20 saves along with a 2.58 ERA and 75 strikeouts through 69.2 innings of work.

Osuna would continue to be the Blue Jays closer for the next 2 seasons until 2018 when he was charged with domestic assault. The MLB would end up suspending the pitcher for 75 games without pay under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy.

Days before Osuna had almost completed his suspension, the Blue Jays traded him to the Houston Astros for closer Ken Giles and a bundle of pitching prospects. Upon Osuna’s first return to Toronto, the closer was loudly booed by the Blue Jays fans during his appearance on the mound.

Roberto Osuna would later have his charges dropped against in exchange for a peace bond, with the requirements being he could not contact his victim for over one year and must undergo counseling. The prosecution withdrew the charges after the victim would not agree to travel to Toronto to testify during the trial.