Blue Jays trade Biggio to LA, add high-strikeout RHP prospect

MILWAUKEE -- The Blue Jays no longer had a spot for Cavan Biggio, but one of the best teams in baseball does.

The Blue Jays traded Biggio to the Dodgers along with cash considerations on Wednesday in exchange for Double-A reliever Braydon Fisher.

“I think it’s good for Cavan, and I was pretty sure he’d land on his feet,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “In terms of what they’re looking for out of him, it’s a pretty obvious skill set, and with how they deploy their roster, I’m sure he’ll be playing against right-handed pitching. He’s joining a really good team. It’s tough to have him leave.”

TRADE DETAILS
Dodgers acquire: INF/OF Cavan Biggio plus cash
Blue Jays acquire: Minor League RHP Braydon Fisher

Biggio was recently designated for assignment by the Blue Jays, a surprising move, even considering his numbers. The 29-year-old, drafted by the Blue Jays back in 2016, was batting .200 with a .614 OPS, and some redundancy had developed with the Blue Jays’ roster depth. In L.A., Biggio will have a great opportunity to re-establish himself as a versatile bench piece to support a stacked lineup.

“He’s got a buddy over there in Teoscar [Hernández], too,” Schneider said.

Coming up as a prospect, Biggio was paired alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, a trio of second-generation players who carried the hopes of a fan base. Some of these expectations were unfairly hoisted upon Biggio, which is the nature of having a famous last name, but Biggio has handled the good and bad days admirably. Throughout his tenure in Toronto, Biggio earned respect throughout the organization, making the past week’s decisions difficult for those involved.

We saw Biggio’s offensive peak early in his career, when he posted a .368 on-base percentage, .798 OPS and 24 home runs over his first two seasons (159 games). He eventually transitioned from second base to third, then into a super-utility role, but by the time that part of his game began showing its true value, Biggio’s bat had cooled.

The Blue Jays have pivoted in recent weeks, chasing more offense with the promotion of No. 16 prospect Spencer Horwitz in Biggio’s place, so roster construction played just as big a part in Biggio’s departure as his own performance.

In Fisher, the Blue Jays get back a 23-year-old right-hander who has bounced between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He’ll likely start out with the club’s Double-A affiliate in New Hampshire as the organization tries to harness his impressive strikeout rate (30 in 19 IP this year) while cutting down his walks (15).

Fisher’s primary pitch is a curveball, which he throws roughly half the time, giving him a unique profile out of the bullpen with a fastball that sits in the 92-95 mph range.