DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Blue Jays traded outfielder Randal Grichuk and cash to the Rockies for Raimel Tapia and infield prospect Adrian Pinto on Thursday.
Grichuk has two seasons remaining on the five-year, $52 million extension he signed with the Blue Jays back in early 2019, but he was looking up at a crowded outfield picture in Toronto behind George Springer, Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Grichuk got into 149 games last season while Springer missed time with multiple injuries, but there were not expected to be as many outfield or DH opportunities in ’22.
In Tapia, the Blue Jays add a left-handed bat to their outfield, which has been a priority given their righty-heavy lineup. The former Top 100 Prospect came up with some legitimate hype and an advanced ability to hit for average with the Rockies, which he’s flashed at times in the big leagues. There isn’t much power to Tapia’s game when compared to Grichuk, with a career high of nine home runs in 2019, but he does offer speed and contact with a low strikeout rate.
Earlier this week, Tapia and the Rockies settled on a $3.95 million salary for ’22, avoiding arbitration. He has two years of team control remaining.
Tapia should slide right into a similar role to what Grichuk held, just with a much different profile. This balances the Blue Jays’ outfield depth and gives them some speed off the bench when needed, though it remains to be seen how Tapia’s defensive responsibilities will shake out. After the Rockies signed Kris Bryant to play left field, Tapia was in a competition of his own for everyday reps in Colorado.
Left field has been Tapia’s primary position in the big leagues, but he’s played some right and center. He did play much more center field in the Minor Leagues, though, which should come in handy as the Blue Jays work to ensure that Springer stays healthy over a full 162-game slate.
“I’ve been working hard all offseason to have a good season, and that’s what I plan on doing,” Tapia said Monday, while still with the Rockies. “I’m hoping for 30 stolen bases, a good batting average personally, but I really just want to help this team win.”
Now, that team is the Blue Jays.
The prospect involved in this deal, Pinto, comes with some legitimate intrigue of his own. The 19-year-old comes from Caucagua, Venezuela, and enjoyed a fantastic start to his pro career in ’21, winning MVP in the Dominican Summer League. Pinto hit .360 with a .487 on-base percentage, walking more than twice as often (38) as he struck out (18). Listed at just 5-foot-6, Pinto played primarily shortstop in the DSL, but he also got some time at shortstop and in center field.