With Major League Baseball Opening Day underway on Thursday, most teams would consider their roster to be fully contructed.
Unfortunately for the Boston Red Sox, the American League East does not stop building. In a trade that seemingly came out of nowhere, the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly traded reliever Anthony Castro to the Cleveland Guardians for outfielder Bradley Zimmer according to The Athletic’s Zack Meisel.
Zimmer, 29, is a former top prospect, ranking No. 19 on MLB Pipeline before his major-league debut in 2017. His career has not reached those high expectations, as he enters 2022 with a career .225 batting average and has only played in 263 games across five seasons.
His upside remains in his speed, which has helped him steal 39 bases in 45 attempts over his career and play steady defense.
The addition of Zimmer does not shake up the AL East picture, but it does give the loaded Blue Jays another piece. The divison race is expected to go right up to the end, so every single player really does count.
