Blue Jays non-tender Yangervis Solarte

The Blue Jays have non-tendered utility infielder Yangervis Solarte.

Solarte is the only Blue Jay to receive that fate as everybody else was given a contract, according to this tweet from Blue Jays PR.

He came as advertised this year, making starts at all four infield positions. The problem was, he didn’t really field any of them that well. In addition to that, he wasn’t very good at the plate either, most notably against right handed pitching.

Solarte, a switch hitter, usually hit RHP pretty well. In the three seasons before 2018, Solarte hit a combined .280/.334/.459 against them for a healthy 114 wRC+. This year, however, his strikeout and ground ball rates vs RHP rose in 2018 and he only managed a .227/.279/.357 line against them.

MLB Trade Rumors projected him to get $5.9M in arbitration this year, so saving that money – as well as a roster spot for a player that’s younger, cheaper, and potentially better – was a no brainer for a team that doesn’t expect to contend in 2019.

His passion on the field quickly made him a fan favourite in Toronto, but it’s time to turn the chapter. The 2018 Blue Jays were baaaaad, and non-tendering a guy that contributed -1.3 fWAR to that is probably a good first step.