The Blue Jays have acquired outfielder Patrick Kivlehan from the Pirates, per a club announcement. The trade return isn’t known but it’s likely a typical cash payment.
Kivlehan has seen time in each of the past three MLB campaigns but hasn’t received a call yet in 2019. He’s a .208/.302/.401 hitter in 242 plate appearances at the game’s highest level.
The move helps the Jays fill out their upper farm ranks. Kivlehan takes the opening just created by the promotion of Jonathan Davis. The Bucs had the opposite scenario, with JB Shuck being outrighted back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
jdgoat
A plus Brito replacement.
BrandonGregory74
Kivlehan is a great dude. Hope he hangs around.
flippinbats79
Can’t wait for him to hit under .100 with the Jays
bluejays92
If he can hit above .077 then he’s already an upgrade over Brito offensively.
One Bite Hotdog
You win
jimmertee
Another stellar move from the BlueJays Ross Atkins.
terrymesmer
Duuuuuuhhh, I think they DFA’d Smith Jr. so as to keep Brito, duuuuuhhhh.
bluejays92
Nah, Brito didn’t come over (from the Padres) until after the regular season had begun. I think they lets Smith go to keep Dalton Pompey around (who I’ve wanted gone for like two years and apparently so did the baseball bat in his locker).
terrymesmer
@bluejays92
I know that and you know that, but Jimmertee recently argued that. The guy is hilarious!
DarkSide830
waiting for another trite comment like “rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic”
getright11
“rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic”
dman07
Lol this move kills me…this is the only type of move the Jays front office can make. So discouraging as a fan to see moves like this over and over again. The worse has yet to come!…
thecoffinnail
Wow man. You Jays fans are seriously jaded. They have provided you two of the most exciting prospects in years to build around and you expect an instant rebuild.
dman07
Right and a stellar rotation and outfield too…it’ll take more than two prospects to get this team over the hump….
qazer
No shiznit. But the FO can’t just make all those things appear by wishing they had them. You’re complaining that you aren’t there yet, twenty minutes after you get into the car. It’s a long drive from where you are to Disney world. Settle in.
Taejonguy
three… Vlad, Bichette and Nate Pearson
DoItDoug
Pearson is going to be great !
Yankeedynasty
What about Cavan Biggio
clrrogers 2
You do realize this is a rebuilding year, right?
jdgoat
Dude you realize they’re rebuilding? What exactly are you expecting at the moment?
Taejonguy
arguably better to lose 100 games rather than try to compete. all about draft position.
jimmyz
And Patrick Kivlehan being signed to play as depth in AAA is a move to compete and win games now that would adversely affect the team’s draft position NEXT june for drafting players who won’t be in MLB until 2022-23 at best?
Taejonguy
i was agreeing that this was fine… no need to try to hard this year.
terrymesmer
Look at the daily transactions list, genius. These moves happen all over the league every day.
its_happening
This move was not necessary. What you defenders do not understand is this hurts the growth. If this dude goes to AAA it stops the deserving AA player from being promoted. If this dude goes to the majors it means they value him over Davis, which says Davis has as much of a place on this team as Dwight Smith did.
Again, a move not necessary. They have speedy Roeman Fields and the great Anthony Alford. I’m sure there are others but I just woke up. Good morning.
qazer
Please name the prospect he is blocking. I’ll wait.
its_happening
Who said prospect?
Promote from within. I’m sure there are players deserving of a promotion (HINT: there are, I just don’t want to do your work for you)
terrymesmer
This dude went to AA.
its_happening
Exactly Terrence. Ryan Noda, Alejandro Kirk, Cullen Large, Christian Williams – pick any of those guys from Dunedin and promote that guy to AA. That’s called rewarding prospects, but you subscribe to rewarding journeyman never-will-bes and zilches. You may not enjoy development, I do.
pickandersen
Per MLB log, cash to Pittsburgh. Kivlehan goes to AA New Hampshire.
frustratedpittsburghpiratesfan
Cash versus any potential asset. More $$$ for Nuttings’s bank account.
I doubt this $$ gets reinvested into improving Team.
dman07
This move doesn’t make sense. I’d rather have Tellez at first, Biggio or Gurriel at second, Bo at SS and Guerrero at third. Alford and Davis in the OF. What sense does the Grichuk extension make? Especially if we trade Stro, Sanchez and Smoak. This front office isn’t making much sense. I believe Bo and Guerro were AA’s picks anyways. Let’s see what happens…maybe Brito and Hansen are the answers right? Oh wait…
its_happening
Why have Biggio play 2B when Sogard is there to ensure Matt Shoemaker goes to the IL?
Why not sign a below average defender and strikeout artist to a nice extension?
I understand your frustration. Unfortunately the move makes sense. Watching Rogers bring in Godfrey to hire Ricciardi, then the AA era and now this, these moves are typical.
This is me saying your comment is spot-on.
hiflew
So why don’t you just watch the AAA team for a year or two? You can’t just put the AAA team in the majors and expect anything. You have to have some veterans with the young guys or else they will never win.
The Cubs didn’t win the WS until they got Lester and Heyward and Zobrist to go along with all their young players. The Astros picked up Verlander and Reddick to get them over the hump.
No matter how good Vlad turns out to be, you need more otherwise you end up like the Angels, having great players on losing teams.
Taejonguy
well… Gurriel all of a sudden hot the yips, Alford is hitting under .200 and the plan is for Grichuk to play right when eier of the guys mentioned develop into MLB players.
jdgoat
Regurgitate regurgitate
dman07
Sorry about my frustration but I was there for the bat flip and EE’s walk off in the WC game. Seems so long ago lol…
It seems that we had a window to parlay and trade up in the off-season and the FO didn’t do much. Also the Osuna situation last year isn’t the FO’s fault. We had to take significantly less…Let’s see what happens. I hope we get some great pieces for Stro or who ever they decide to trade. I just don’t have a lot of faith in this FO right now doing much especially pulling off a great trade. I’ll bet we end up trading Grichuk eventually and eating a major portion of his salary…smh
its_happening
No apology necessary. Same frustrations on my end. More blame should be levied toward Rogers too. Lots to unpack with this team.
BaseballBrian
If Davis fails, he can always rejoin Korn.
rodster
Blue Jays rebuilding, fine, I’ll watch Yankees until the Jays are competitive if ever.
dman07
I hear that….I’m in the Bronx on the 1st. Should be a good game at Yankee Stadium