BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JULY 16: Reese McGuire #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays stands on deck during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Sahlen Field on July 16, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays have been hit with a number of setbacks since reloading their roster following a Cinderella playoff run.
After reaching extra innings of Game 7 in the World Series last year, anything short of a return to the Fall Classic would mark a disappointment for the team. But those aspirations have been derailed by a series of injuries to key players.
The Blue Jays have lost new pitcher Cody Ponce for the year, with position players like George Springer and Addison Barger hitting the injured list recently as well. And reigning All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk continues to recover after undergoing surgery on his hand shortly after Opening Day.
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As the team looks to fill Kirk’s role and overcome its disappointing start, it has now received news that a former backstop who spent the first four years of his career with the Blue Jays is now a free agent.
Major-league veteran Reese McGuire cut ties with the Chicago White Sox after the team designated him for assignment and he cleared outright waivers, according to the official transaction tracker.
“McGuire was on the Sox’s roster for around a month… The 31-year-old appeared in 11 games, hitting .172 without an extra-base hit across 34 plate appearances,” Anthony Franco wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “He also had a tough time defensively, committing two passed balls and failing to throw out any of 15 base stealers.”
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Blue Jays fans might be surprised to learn of McGuire’s struggles with the White Sox, particularly on the defensive side. In his four seasons with Toronto, he slashed .248/.297/.390 and was typically above average in throwing out attempted steals.
McGuire joined the Blue Jays in 2016 as part of a four-player trade and he made his big-league debut in 2018. The team traded him to the White Sox for catcher Zack Collins in 2022 and he was quickly flipped to the Boston Red Sox, where he spent three seasons.
Last year, he served as a backup option for the Chicago Cubs. Then he joined the Milwaukee Brewers on a minor-league deal for Spring Training, before opting out and signing a big-league deal with the White Sox for this season.
Now that he has cut ties with the White Sox rather than accept a minor-league assignment, he could be on the hunt for a big-league opportunity elsewhere. But he might be forced to accept a stint in the minors to rebuild some of the promise he once showed with the Blue Jays at the start of his career.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com