Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio aren’t getting it done for the Blue Jays on defence. Contenders can’t afford to wait

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This article was published 23/04/2021 (1663 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Blue Jays have made improved defence one of their top priorities for the better part of a year. If the first three weeks of the season have taught us anything, it’s that the gloves still have a long way to go before they will be considered up to par.

Poor fielding was an issue throughout much of last season, and it remains a problem today for a team that views itself as a contender. Errors and makable plays not being executed have become common occurrences and likely will stay that way until some new faces are brought in from the outside.

According to Baseball Savant, the Jays entered Friday’s series opener in Tampa Bay ranked last in the majors with minus-12 outs above average and minus-nine runs prevented. The view from FanGraphs is marginally better with zero defensive runs saved, which ranked 18th. For those who aren’t analytically inclined, Toronto’s 0.56 errors per game were the 11th most in baseball. None of the numbers are good.

There have been glimpses of potential. The Jays’ first win of the season, 3-2 over the New York Yankees, was one of their cleanest games in recent memory. They made highlight-reel plays all over the field on opening day, but that performance has since proven to be the outlier, not the norm. Consistency, even on some of the more routine plays, has been lacking.

“I think one is not having George Springer in centre field and Randal Grichuk not in right field,” Jays general manager Ross Atkins said when asked about his team’s defensive issues. “Randal Grichuk has done an exceptional job. He has really played well in centre field (with Springer hurt) and that has been very encouraging for us.

“I think the other factor is, Bo (Bichette) and Cavan (Biggio) are learning their positions at the major-league level. Not that they haven’t prepared and worked their tails off, but we knew there was still growth and development there. With young players, you’re going to see extreme highs and then you’re going to see some lows … I think it’s just a matter of those guys settling in and getting more comfortable at those positions, and they will — there’s no doubt in my mind.”

There’s some truth in that. Prior to this season Biggio had only appeared in a handful of games at third base, and even in the minor leagues he played the position just 47 times across three seasons. He’s still getting accustomed to his new surroundings and should get better as the year goes on.

Bichette has been a shortstop for his entire career, but he’s only 23 years old. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that a player his age will improve with more reps and experience. Nobody questions the work ethic or desire of either player, but will the two young stars improve enough to no longer be considered liabilities at their positions? That’s a much bigger debate.

What’s clear right now is that the Jays don’t have the kind of defence that is normally associated with a team headed for the post-season.

Biggio has a below-average arm for a third baseman, and Bichette has bobbled a few too many grounders at inopportune times. Both infielders had committed four errors through Thursday, tied for second most in the majors. There is a lot of room for improvement.

“They’re working hard at it,” manager Charlie Montoyo said recently. “Third base is a new position for Biggio and he has actually played well … I know they’re going to get better. Even though they’re struggling right now, it’s still early. But I’ll tell you what, they’re working hard every day.”

Long term, the defensive issues might not be quite as big a problem as they initially seem. Prospect Jordan Groshans has been playing shortstop in the minor leagues, but he appears to be the third baseman of the future. It’s possible he will be ready for the start of next year, and with Marcus Semien on a one-year deal a spot will open up at second for either Biggio or Bichette.

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Fixing the defence this year will be more problematic. Barring a mid-season trade for someone such as Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager, the Jays’ roster is set, but if errors continue to be a problem there is some internal tinkering the organization could experiment with.

Semien was signed to play second base after spending the first eight years of his career at short. His defence at second has looked strong, and his preference likely would be to stay there to market himself as one of the top free-agent options at the position this off-season. But Atkins appeared to indicate during a recent media availability that Semien wasn’t promised one specific position. That could eventually open the door for Semien to change spots with Biggio, even if it’s not the Jays’ current priority.

“He has been incredible at second base and that has been a positive for us,” Atkins said when asked if the Jays would consider moving Semien to third. “I am exceptionally confident that Cavan is going to get better and better at third base. But one of the most attractive things about Marcus was his open-mindedness, his desire to win and his ability to play all those positions. It has really been impressive to see how well he has handled second base.”

Teams could do a lot worse than betting on a pair of guys like Biggio and Bichette and these two will have time to grow, but if progress isn’t made soon on the defensive side the Blue Jays will have to consider their options. This defensive alignment will not be an overnight fix.

Gregor Chisholm is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @GregorChisholm or reach him via email: gchisholm@thestar.ca