After being released by the Chicago White Sox during the offseason, outfielder Dayan Viciedo has reportedly found a home with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports broke the news and indicated it's a minor league deal for Viciedo:
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported the deal is for $2.5 million, if Viciedo makes the team.
Viciedo had been a sought-after commodity before reportedly agreeing to terms with the Blue Jays. In addition to Toronto, Rosenthal also reported that Viciedo had been in discussion with the Oakland Athletics about joining their outfield mix.
In addition to whatever Viciedo is getting from Toronto, Rosenthal noted the White Sox still owe the slugger a portion of the $4.4 million deal he signed to avoid arbitration:
It's not difficult to understand why Viciedo took so long to catch on to another team, though Jordan Bastian of MLB.com did present some stats to show the 25-year-old has been in decline for three years:
His slugging percentage dropped to .405 from .426 in ’13 and .444 in ’12. And, while Viciedo is generally viewed as a right-handed counter for lefty pitching, his platoon splits are actually reversed over the past two seasons combined (.692 OPS against lefties and .711 OPS against righties).
The Blue Jays can afford to take a chance on a player like Viciedo, who did hit 21 home runs last year despite a .231/.281/.405 slash line, because they need outfield depth with Michael Saunders expected to miss five to six weeks following knee surgery, per Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
Viciedo can see time as a part-time outfielder and bench bat if he makes Toronto's roster out of spring training. He can also start the year in Triple-A and be called up if or when an opening becomes available. It's a low-risk investment by general manager Alex Anthopoulos that gives the team options to look at during the spring.
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