Toronto Blue Jays: Resist the urge to make Cavan Biggio a utility player
Cavan Biggio had an eventful rookie campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019, which is why the organization needs to let him continue to grow at second base and resist the urge to turn him into a utility-type player.
The Toronto Blue Jays entered the 2019 season as a young team heading towards the choppy waters of a full-on rebuild. A vast majority of the veteran players had been traded away and one by one, all the prospects started to appear across the diamond as the season wore on.
Cavan Biggio made his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays on May 24 and would play in 100 games over the course of the 2019 campaign. He would finish the season with a .234/.364/.429 slash line with 16 home runs, 48 RBI’s and a .793 OPS.
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Biggio would lead all rookies in walks (71) and would finish in 5th place for American League Rookie of the Year voting. To cap it all off, Biggio would also hit for the cycle against the Baltimore Orioles on September 17, a feat that is only amplified by the fact he was still in his rookie season.
With Devon Travis injured and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. spending the second half of the season in LF, Biggio occupied 2nd base for 85 games on the season, with some stints at 1B and RF when needed. Before he began his career in the MLB, Biggio was spending time across the diamond at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, but also in the outfield corners while with the AAA Buffalo Bisons. Many believed this would be Biggio’s way to the major league roster, a utility-type player that would be able to fill in at multiple positions but also not be an offensive or defensive liability when penciled into the lineup.
Cavan Biggio on reports that he could play some OF. "My whole mindset towards it is I'll play anywhere to help the team win that night... The best position on the field is in the field and in the line-up."
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) January 10, 2020
References that his dad had position changes at times during his career.
Heading into the 2020 season, I really hope the Blue Jays decide to move away from this utility player notion and let him try to continue to grow and work at second base as he did for most of the previous season.
He was not a defensive liability with his .989% fielding percentage during the games he played at 2nd base and proved that his eye at the plate was one of the strongest on the team. While the batting average could be improved upon, some more reps at the MLB level could help drive Biggio to contribute more at the plate rather than just walking on base.
The thing with the Toronto Blue Jays this season is that they are still growing and nurturing their younger talent for another rebuilding season. While the prospects will see lots of time in the lineup, this is the prime opportunity to let the younger guys grow and work to becoming everyday full-time players without risking missing the playoffs.
Moving Biggio around the diamond instead of letting him focus on one position goes against the rebuilding notion, and I would rather see him take hold of the 2nd base position instead of bouncing around to fulfill a role that could easily be occupied by a veteran free agent or an internal option like Brandon Drury. There is no point in wasting away a younger player’s talent like Biggio to fulfill other areas on the Blue Jays roster in a ‘jack of all trades but master of none’ notion that really isn’t needed on a rebuilding squad.
Next. Seattle Mariners extend the quietly excellent Marco Gonzales. dark
Let Biggio play second base. Just let the kid play.