Blue Jays sign Freddy Galvis

With Troy Tulowitzki, Aledmys Diaz, and Yangervis Solarte heading out the door, the Blue jays were badly in need of some veteran depth in the middle of the infield. I would have preferred Manny Machado but I guess we can live with Freddy Galvis.

The Jays have inked Steady Freddy Galvis, a switch-hitting infielder, to a one-year deal worth $4 million with an option for a second year. In a corresponding roster move, Danny “Daddy” Barnes has been designated for assignment.

Galvis, who turned 29 years old in November, has been in the league for seven seasons now. He spent the majority of his career in Philadelphia but played last year with the Padres. He’s basically the pillar of consistency, having played in all 162 games in back-to-back seasons while posting a .690 and .680 OPS. His value comes mostly from a solid glove and some positional versatility, though those offensive numbers aren’t terrible for a shortstop.

It’ll be interesting to see what role Galvis has on the team given the influx of middle infield talent the Jays have coming up through the system. Lourdes Gurriel figures to the be the team’s starting shortstop and Vlad Jr. will join the team a few weeks into the year at third. Then you have Brandon Drury playing at third until Vlad gets there and Devon Travis who may have to play his way on to the team. I don’t expect to see Bo Bichette on the team in 2019, but I could be wrong.

I imagine Galvis will play the exact role Aledmys Diaz played in last year, seeing time at short, second, and third depending on where he’s needed.