When the Toronto Blue Jays signed Marcus Semien to a one-year, $18 million deal in free agency, it looked like a reach. Now, it looks like a bargain.
Marcus Semien was one of the more polarizing free agents on the market this past winter. On the one hand, he was a finalist for the American League MVP Award in 2019 after putting together the best season of his career. The slick-fielding shortstop was also regarded as a premium defenders with strong athleticism.
However, the 2019 campaign looked something like an outlier. Semien had never had an OPS+ over 100 until that season, when he remarkably jumped to a 140 OPS+. That season looked all the more like an aberration after Semien hit .223 with a .679 OPS in 2020, though he struggled with injuries.
The former Oakland Athletics shortstop was unlikely to head back to the Bay Area especially after the A's refused to extend the qualifying offer. He initially hoped for a multiyear deal, but ultimately settled for a one-year contract with the Blue Jays.
Toronto's spending has paid off, and then some.
Doing it all for the Blue Jays
Marcus Semien has provided the Blue Jays value in a multitude of ways. For starters, he immediately showed a willingness to move off shortstop–in favor of Bo Bichette–and head to second base. More importantly, Semien is healthy… and it's showing at the plate.
The 30-year-old currently boasts a career-high 90.4 mph average exit velocity and also has a 42.9 percent hard-hit rate. The improvements in the batted ball numbers have resulted in Semien slashing .294/.365/.531 with 13 homers and a 146 OPS+ through his first 57 games.
Semien has fit right into a lineup already containing Bichette and early American League MVP candidate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But while the power numbers are certainly encouraging, they are only one element of Semien's value.
The San Francisco native is a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. He ranks in the 82nd percentile in sprint speed and has still played terrific defense even after the position change, ranking in the 94th percentile in outs above average.
Marcus Semien's name can be found the WAR leaderboard for all second basemen. According to FanGraphs' Dollars metric (which converts WAR to a monetary value), he has already been worth $22 million this season. Needless to say, he has lived up to his contract.
So, is Semien the best investment in this past winter's MLB free-agency class? Well, that's a bit hard to determine outright.
Who else is in the running?
San Francisco Giants starter Kevin Gausman has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, as has New York Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman. However, both guys accepted the qualifying offer and never hit the open market.
What about Gausman's teammate, Alex Wood? He was signed for just $3 million and has given the Giants a major boost. Maybe the cost-benefit analysis would deem him the best investment in the class. Stroman's teammate, Taijuan Walker, has been tremendous for the Mets and is under contract for under $8 million AAV in the next three seasons.
Mark Melancon has been one of the best closers in baseball after the San Diego Padres signed him to a $3 million deal.
All of those guys have been invaluable to their respective teams. However, Semien's contributions have been as important as any other, especially with Toronto's other headline free agent (George Springer) missing most of this season with a hamstring injury.
Whether Semien is the best free-agent signing is up for debate. What isn't up for debate, however, is he has been an MVP-caliber talent for a Blue Jays team that has very much needed his presence in the middle of the infield.
Follow Us
Subscribe