The Toronto Blue Jays added infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and reliever Dillon Tate with their September roster expansion. Their additions provide depth for Toronto’s next push, though more decisions and roster moves will arise down the stretch for a potential playoff roster.
Kiner-Falefa, who Toronto claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, will act as versatile infield depth. He played mainly shortstop and third base with the Pirates this year, but manned every position across the diamond, except first base, during his eight-year career. He’s also stolen 15 bases in 19 attempts this year. Manager John Schneider said Kiner-Falefa gives the Jays a chance to be more aggressive with early pinch-hits, substitute runners and late-game defensive replacements.
“Happy to have Izzy back, man,” Schneider said. “He’s a gamer. He’s a winner. Obviously familiar with him.”
When Joey Loperfido was optioned to the Buffalo Bisons in August, Schneider said he would likely be in the mix for a September return. However, Kiner-Falefa joined the organization and took his spot, with the Jays valuing another versatile infielder. With 25 games still to play, though, Loperfido could still push back to the big leagues at some point.
“Understanding what Joey did here,” Schneider said. “What kind of year he’s had, it’s not a final thing. Things can still happen. But I think with the way guys are performing here and kind of how we’re rolling the lineup every single night, it made sense to bring in a guy that can do a lot of things for us.”
Tate, who briefly joined the Jays at the end of April, adds another short-term option for Toronto’s well-worn relief group. Toronto had a 4.76 bullpen ERA in August, with several key arms posting their worst stretches of the season. Getting that group back on track and rested for October will be crucial to any postseason success. Tate owns a 0.95 ERA in his last 18 Triple-A appearances, recording three saves in his last seven outings.
While Tate could grab a big-league role and run with it for the remainder of the year, it’s more likely Toronto continues to rotate through arms at the back of the bullpen to keep options fresh. The Jays have used Braydon Fisher, Paxton Schultz, Justin Bruihl, Easton Lucas and now Tate in the final bullpen spots over the last two weeks. Fisher, who posted a 3.03 ERA in 38 2/3 innings for the Jays, is not eligible to return to Toronto until Friday, 15 days after he was optioned.
Another significance of Toronto’s September additions is playoff eligibility. To directly qualify for a team’s postseason roster, players must be on the 40-man roster as of Monday. For the Jays to carry top prospect Trey Yesavage into October, or any other player not currently on the 40-man team, they must now petition the commissioner’s office for additional eligibility, as long as the player would replace an injury. The Detroit Tigers did so to add pitching prospect Jackson Jobe for the postseason last year.
(Photo of Dillon Tate: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)