Michael Saunders Could Become a Valuable Contributor for Toronto Blue Jays

When the Toronto Blue Jays traded for Canadian outfielder Michael Saunders from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitcher J.A. Happ, the deal barely drew any attention when compared to some of the team’s other moves of the offseason.

Considering that those other major deals have included signing free-agent catcher Russell Martin to a five-year, $82 million deal and trading for All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson, it’s understandable that the Saunders trade slipped under the radar.

Despite not being a high-profile acquisition, Saunders has the potential to be an impact player both offensively and defensively for the Blue Jays heading into the 2015 season.

With the departure of outfielder Melky Cabrera to the Chicago White Sox, per Doug Padilla of ESPN.com, the 28-year-old Saunders is expected to start at left field for Toronto.

While he played just 78 games last season, mainly because of injuries, Saunders was solid with the bat, hitting .273/.341/.450 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and 38 runs scored.

Keep in mind that those offensive numbers came while Saunders played his home games at the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. Over his career, Saunders’ OPS at home is .646, compared to .720 on the road.

Defensively, Saunders should be an upgrade in left field over Cabrera. According to Fangraphs.com, Saunders’ Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games last season was 8.9, compared to Cabrera’s -7.1.

As noted above, injuries were a huge issue for Saunders during the 2014 season. But it’s worth noting that he did play 139 and 132 games during the 2012 and 2013 seasons respectively.

With free-agent outfielder Colby Rasmus unlikely to return to Toronto, the Blue Jays are set to head into the season with the unproven duo of Dalton Pompey and Kevin Pillar penciled in for the centre field job.

Both Pompey—who could require a seasoning stint in Triple-A Buffalo before he’s ready to be a starter in the majors—and Pillar have displayed limited offensive upside so far, making Saunders even more critical to the team’s success.

Look for Saunders to slot into the sixth or seventh spot in Toronto’s lineup next season. Considering that one of Pompey or Pillar and the team’s second baseman (Maicer Izturis, Ryan Goins or Devon Travis) will bat eighth and ninth, Saunders will essentially be needed to anchor the bottom half of the Blue Jays’ batting order.

While his name may not jump out of the lineup card, Saunders has the potential to be a key player in the Blue Jays offense and provide a much-needed veteran presence in the outfield, while playing beside a young centre fielder.

*All stats are from Fangraphs.com