TORONTO – On Tuesday, the Toronto Blue Jays organization cut 26 minor league players, including four that spent time with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2019.
Perhaps the most famous name on the list is first baseman Kacy Clemens, son of former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens.
Kacy began the season platooning at first base for the Fisher Cats, but went back down to Advanced-A Dunedin after putting up a .145/.247/.169 slash line over 24 games with New Hampshire, collecting just two extra-base hits and seven RBI, with a strikeout to walk rate of nearly 3:1.
Another first baseman, Christian Williams, was also on the list. Williams came to New Hampshire from Dunedin in May, just as Clemens was heading in the opposite direction. During his 79 appearances with the ‘Cats, Williams wasn’t much better offensively (.228/.276/.342)
Whenever the season finally starts, the Fisher Cats will still have options at first base. Nash Knight has played just under half of his five-year minor league career at first (127 games), and can fill in at second even though he’s played mostly at the hot corner.
Cullen Large and Deiferson Bareto could also theoretically step in, with each playing two games each at first during their minor league careers, and Ryan Noda may get a shot after he supplanted Clemens as the primary first baseman in Dunedin last year (.238/.372/.418), leading the team in homers (13), doubles (27) and RBI (74) over 117 games, also collecting 14 stolen bases and 74 walks.
The other two cuts included pitcher Turner Larkins, who threw one inning of relief for the ‘Cats last season and infielder Jake Brodt, who went 0-for-6 with two strikeouts in two games in Manchester in late August.
