A former Blue Jay prospect is on the move to an American League East rival.
On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced by the New York Yankees that they have claimed Jordan Groshans off waivers from the Miami Marlins. Last Tuesday, Miami placed the 24-year-old infielder on waivers.
The Blue Jays drafted Groshans in 2018 with the 12th-overall pick and under slotted him to draft and sign his Magnolia High School teammate, Adam Kloffenstein. Groshans had some success in the organization, including slashing .291/.367/.450 with seven homers in 316 plate appearances with the 2021 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, but never found a power stroke.
At the 2022 deadline, the Blue Jays traded him to the Marlins for two big league relievers in Zach Pop and Anthony Bass, along with a player to be named later, which ended up being prospect catcher Edward Duran, we’ll get to these three in a bit.
Groshans found success in Miami, slashing .301/.398/.416 with two homers in 133 plate appearances with their Triple-A team in 2022, and eventually getting a call up to the big league team in September. With the Marlins, Groshans slashed .262/.308/.311 with a homer in 65 plate appearances.
Sadly, the 2023 season wasn’t a great one for the shortstop, as he slashed .243/.339/.330 with six homers in 528 plate appearances. Once again, he had a high BB% (12.5%) and a good K% (17.4%), but just couldn’t hit for power, failing to hit double-digit homers for the fifth straight season.
As for the players the Jays received, Bass was the main piece and he had a 1.75 ERA and 4.63 FIP in 25.2 innings pitched with the Jays in 2022. His 2023 season was a mess, finishing with a 4.95 ERA and a 4.66 FIP in 20 innings pitched, before ultimately being released in early June.
Pop is still with the organization, posting a 6.59 ERA and a 6.33 FIP in 13.2 innings pitched with the Jays in 2023. He started the season great, giving up just one earned run in his first 8.1 innings, but gave up nine earned runs over his last 5.1 innings before an injury derailed his season. With the Buffalo Bisons, he posted a 5.51 ERA and a 4.49 FIP in 32.2 innings pitched, his worst overall season to date.
Duran is an interesting name to watch, and I’m not just saying that because I cover prospects. The 19-year-old catcher slashed .315/.422/.417 with two homers in 154 plate appearances between the Florida Complex League and Single-A, while also posting a higher BB% (15.6%) than K% (13%). He plays a mix of catcher and first base.
All in all, the Blue Jays definitely won the trade, but hopefully Groshans can find success with his new organization.
More must-reads: