Several outlets reported over the weekend that the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a contract with free agent outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.
Kiermaier has a reputation of being one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball when healthy, and offers a bit of power-speed upside as well.
A Blue Jays analyst offered his take on the deal and explained why it depends on his role to grade it.
“If Kevin Kiermaier’s an everyday player, it isn’t good. If there’s another outfield move coming, it’s good,” Josh Goldberg tweeted.
If Kevin Kiermaier’s an everyday player, it isn’t good.
If there’s another outfield move coming, it’s good.
— Josh Goldberg (@JGoldberg12) December 10, 2022
Prime Kiermaier was capable of putting up league-average offensive numbers with game-changing defense in center field.
At 32, he has lost a step and is not the same player he used to be.
Injuries have taken a toll on his body, and it is normal to see players start to decline when they are on the wrong side of 30.
He Is A Nice Piece For The Bench
That doesn’t mean he is a bad defender, though: he is just not as good as vintage Kiermaier was.
This is a man who had 38 Defensive Runs Saved (!) in 2015, but had just two this past season.
With the bat, he has yielded a .248/.308/.407 line with a 97 wRC+: a hair below the league average.
He was limited to just 63 games in 2022 with the Tampa Bay Rays due to a torn labrum in his left hip that wound up requiring season-ending surgery in August.
As Goldberg says, if the Jays don’t give him regular at-bats, it could be considered a solid signing.
His sole presence on the roster, however, gives the Jays more flexibility when managing fellow injury-prone outfielder George Springer.
As long as he isn’t a starter, it’s a savvy move by Toronto.
