Report: Blue Jays Trade For Lefty Reliever Genesis Cabrera
The Blue Jays have added a second lefty to the bullpen.
The Jays have acquired reliever Genesis Cabrera from the Cardinals, per The Athletic's Katie Woo. Cabrera was designated for assignment by St. Louis earlier this week.
In 32 games (32 innings) this year, Cabrera posted a 5.06 ERA out of the Cardinals bullpen. He's been a strikeout weapon, recording 10.7 K/9, but walks and homers inflated his ERA. The 26-year-old is currently posting career highs in both walk and homer rates in 2023.
However, in the three seasons prior to 2023, Cabrera established himself as a strong back-of-the-bullpen lefty for a contending team. From 2020-2022, the Dominican reliever rocked a 3.81 ERA and 4.29 FIP. The lefty throws a high-90s fastball, hard slider, and the occasional curveball and changeup.
Currently, Tim Mayza is the only southpaw in Toronto's bullpen mix, so Cabrera can prove left-handed depth for Toronto. He should see an opportunity in low leverage to start or specific lefty matchups.
The Blue Jays reportedly sent back catching prospect Sammy Hernandez, per Woo. Toronto's 14th-round pick in the 2022 draft, Hernandez earned his way up to Single-A Dunedin this season. In 28 games at the level, Hernandez was hitting .192 with a .558 OPS.
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon