The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired utility player Cavan Biggio from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a minor-league pitcher, according to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. (ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the pitcher is righty reliever Braydon Fisher.) Biggio was designated for assignment last weekend after batting just .200/.323/.291 (80 OPS+) in 44 games.
Biggio, 29, has nevertheless shown to be an effective hitter in the past. Over parts of six big-league seasons, he’s amassed a career slash line of .227/.343/.382 (101 OPS+) with 48 home runs and 32 stolen bases. He’s shown a great appetite for drawing walks, having reached via base on balls in nearly 14% of his career plate appearances.
This season, however, Biggio’s ability to impact the baseball has abandoned him. His average exit velocity of 82 mph represents a 5 mph decline over last year’s mark. Clearly the Dodgers are banking on their ability to help Biggio rediscover his power stroke.
It’s to be seen how, exactly, Biggio fits into the Dodgers plans. Los Angeles’ roster features no fewer than three underperforming infielders. That count includes veterans Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernández, both righty batters, as well as lefty-hitting Gavin Lux. It should be noted that of those three, Lux is the only one who can be demoted to the minor leagues. (Lux, for his part, also missed the entirety of last season after suffering a knee injury during the spring, which may explain why he’s had difficulty finding his groove thus far this year.)
The Dodgers entered Wednesday with a 42-26 record on the year, giving them a 7 1/2 game lead in the National League West. The Blue Jays, conversely, came into Wednesday sporting a 33-34 record that leaves them two games back in the hunt for an American League wild-card spot.
