Blue Jays sign Marcus Semien to one-year deal

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed Marcus Semien, taking the star shortstop off of the free agency market. Semien is signing a one-year contract worth $18 million, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Semien will be playing second base and not shortstop for the Blue Jays this upcoming season. It should not come as a surprise to hear that as Toronto has a talented shortstop in Bo Bichette.

The veteran infielder is joining a Blue Jays squad that added outfielder George Springer to a massive six-year deal and still has a ton of young talent across the diamond. Last season with the Oakland Athletics, the veteran infielder had a down year, slashing .223/.305/.374 with seven home runs and 23 RBI. This was a far cry from 2019, where Semien posted career-highs across the board with 33 home runs and 92 RBI in 162 games. He also slashed a ridiculous .285/.369./.522 and finished third in the AL MVP voting.

Furthermore, Semien has been good in the postseason, slashing .407/.484/.667 with two home runs and four RBI. Marcus Semien came up in the White Sox system, playing two seasons with the team prior to being traded to the Oakland Athletics after the 2014 season.