Blue Jays trade Santiago Espinal to Reds
Posted March 20, 2024 7:57 pm.
Last Updated March 20, 2024 8:15 pm.
The Toronto Blue Jays traded infielder Santiago Espinal to the Cincinnati Reds for pitching prospect Chris McElvain, the team announced on Wednesday.
Espinal, 29, has been with the Blue Jays for parts of four seasons. He made the American League All-Star team in 2022 and finished the season hitting .267/.322/.370, with seven home runs, 51 RBIs and 25 doubles across a career-high 135 games.
Espinal appeared in 92 games with the Blue Jays last season, hitting .248/.310/.335, with two home runs and 25 RBIs. He played second base, third base, and shortstop for Toronto throughout his big-league career.
The trade frees a spot on Toronto’s 40-man roster and $2.75 million, Espinal’s 2024 salary. Infielder Ernie Clement, who has had an exceptional spring, is expected to crack the Blue Jays’ opening-day roster. Other players in the mix include slugger Daniel Vogelbach and Canadian first baseman Joey Votto.
Espinal, originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, was traded to the Blue Jays for veteran slugger Steve Pearce in 2018.
McElvain, 23, was drafted by the Reds in the 8th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He pitched 96 innings in Single-A and Single-A+, finishing with a 3.75 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
