Damiano

Palmegiani

If Palmegiani had hit this year like he did last season, he’d probably be the Jays’ third baseman right now. Alas, he’s come in at a modest .217/.318/.392 in 108 games for Buffalo. He’s 24, and he doesn’t have a lot to offer on defense — he’s actually played a bit more first than third this year — so his stock isn’t very high at the moment. The Jays will have to decide this winter whether to add him to the 40-man or expose him to the Rule 5 draft.

It’s the first large batch of cuts for the Jays’ this spring, but there were no major surprises in the bunch. Macko, 23, made 20 starts at High-A Vancouver in 2023, posting a 4.81 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 106/40 K/BB ratio over 86 innings of work. Expect him to begin the 2024 campaign at Double-A New Hampshire.

With veteran Brandon Belt no longer in the picture, there’s a path for Vogelbach to secure a spot on Toronto’s Opening Day roster as a part-time first base and DH option. The 31-year-old slugger is coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign with the Mets, but has shown the ability to mash against right-handed pitching in the past. He’s unlikely to make much of an impact for fantasy managers, but he’s a solid depth addition for the Blue Jays. His presence likely ensures that prospects Damiano Palmegiani, Addison Barger, Orelvis Martinez and Spencer Horwitz open the year back in the minor leagues, barring an unexpected development.

Tiedemann — universally considered among the top pitching prospects in the game — should get a legitimate shot at cracking the Jays’ Opening Day rotation. Injuries limited him to just 44 innings over 15 minor league starts in 2023 before he concluded his season by taking home Pitcher of the Year honors in the Arizona Fall League. The 18 other players invited to major league spring training on Monday were RHP Andrew Bash, C Zach Britton, LHP Jimmy Burnette, C Phil Clarke, RHP Connor Cooke, RHP Chad Dallas, INF Luis De Los Santos, OF Cam Eden, LHP Brandon Eisert, LHP Mason Fluharty, RHP Devereaux Harrison, RHP Ryan Jennings, RHP Hayden Juenger, INF Damiano Palmegiani, OF Will Robertson, OF Alan Roden, C Brian Serven and Andres Sosa.

Matheson’s reports highlights that Palmegiani, who led the AFL in home runs this season offers “positional fit at third base, power potential and the ability to crush left-handed pitching.” The 23-year-old is coming off a season in which he hit .255/.364/.478 with 23 home runs, 93 RBI, and seven steals in 128 games across two levels, and has continued to show plus power against lefties. Matheson was quick to point out that Palmegiani is unlikely to win a spot out of spring training, but that it’s likely his name gets called at some point in 2024, much like we saw with Davis Schneider last summer.

Palmegiani has hit 47 homers over the last two seasons in the Blue Jays’ minor league organization. During AFL action this year, he led all third basemen with six homers and also posted a .575 slugging percentage. With Matt Chapman a free agent, there is a chance that Palmegiani enters spring training with a shot at making the big league club.

Not only did Palmegiani reach base three times but he also scored three runs leading the Saguaros to their second consecutive championship in the Arizona Fall League. Palmegiani worked a pair of walks in his first two trips to the plate before hitting an opposite field single in the fifth inning. The slugging third baseman is not known for web gems but flashed some leather by making a diving stop at the hot corner, which took away a clear extra-base hit in the seventh inning. With Matt Chapman a free agent, there is a chance that he enters spring training with a clear shot at making the big league club.

Palmegiani had a double, a triple, four RBI, and a run scored on Tuesday. He’s now slashing .276/.395/.534 with three home runs, 14 RBI, and one steal in 16 AFL games. The 23-year-old is coming off a season in which he hit .255/.364/.478 with 23 home runs, 93 RBI, and seven steals in 128 games across two levels, and with Matt Chapman a free agent, there’s a chance he enters spring training with a chance to compete for a starting job.

Palmegiani is now hitting .400 with a 1.186 OPS so far in Arizona. The 23-year-old is coming off a season in which he hit .255/.364/.478 with 23 home runs, 93 RBI, and seven steals in 128 games across two levels, including 20 games at Triple-A. If the Blue Jeys decide to forego a qualifying offer to Matt Chapman or make a qualifying offer that is declined, Palmegiani could be in the mix for playing time at the hot corner alongside Orelvis Martinez, Davis Schneider, and Cavan Biggio.

He had four hard-hit balls in the game. Palmegiani, a 2021 14th-round pick, is 6-for-11 for Buffalo after hitting .249/.351/.463 with 19 homers for Double-A New Hampshire. The Jays have more infield prospects than they know what to do with, but Palmegiani is another fairly interesting bat who could be an option at third and first in the majors.