All it took for Travis Snider to get another chance in Toronto was a 10-player trade.
Following their big swap with the Astros this morning the Blue Jays have recalled Snider from Triple-A, where he hit .335 with 13 homers, 16 doubles, and a 1.021 OPS in 56 games.
It’s worth noting that Las Vegas is an extremely hitter-friendly environment, so Snider’s numbers there aren’t as impressive as they first appear, but he’s consistently had huge production in the minors and despite not yet establishing himself in the big leagues the former first-round pick is still just 24 years old.
Snider failed to win a spot on the Opening Day roster despite a strong spring training, as the Blue Jays chose to go with Eric Thames as their primary left fielder. That didn’t work very well, as Thames hit poorly in 46 games before being demoted to Triple-A himself. Since then Toronto has filled the position with Rajai Davis, but the combination of Jose Bautista’s wrist injury and Ben Francisco being traded to Houston clears the way for Snider to see regular action.
Snider hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he also hasn’t been a total disaster. He’s hit .248 with 28 homers, 54 doubles, and a .730 OPS in 232 games as a big leaguer, which is actually decent for someone so young. His big strikeout totals and regression last season led to his heading back to Triple-A, but the Blue Jays are absolutely making the right move in giving him an opportunity to help replace Bautista’s power and Snider still has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order fixture.
