"Overall, the Blue Jays had 311.1 innings at first that weren't covered by Guerrero Jr. Now that France is a free agent, with his signing team to be determined, that need has presented itself once again. The question is, who in the organization can fill that need? Before France, Ernie Clement was playing first base. Clement was fine defensively at first base, finishing the season with 1 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average in 69 innings."
"Before France, Ernie Clement was playing first base. Clement was fine defensively at first base, finishing the season with 1 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average in 69 innings. Clement as the backup first baseman would only work if the Jays sign both Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, which seems unlikely because I wrote this, the Jays signed Dylan Cease."
"Anthony Santander is another option to eat some innings at first base. Last Santander played one inning at first base all the way back on May 25. It came in the bottom of the eighth, as the Jays made a litany of moves, including Michael Stefanic replacing Paxton Schultz on the mound. The Jays lost that game 13-0, so it wasn't an ordinary game. The switch-hitter also played an inning at first with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, as well as 72 innings in 2023."
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be the Blue Jays' primary first baseman for the next decade and a half and requires occasional rest, leaving significant first-base innings to be covered. The team previously acquired Ty France to fill that role, but France is now a free agent. Internal options include Ernie Clement, who posted 1 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average in 69 innings; Anthony Santander, who has very limited major-league first-base experience; and Joey Loperfido, who has minor-league first-base experience. Clement's role depends on other offseason signings such as Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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