Today marks Randal Grichuk’s 35th birthday.
Across five seasons as a Blue Jay, Grichuk played 479 games and slashed .243/.289/.461, belting 90 home runs—good for 26th on the franchise’s all-time list. He was worth 4.2 bWAR during that time, providing solid offensive power and stretches of exciting play.
The Blue Jays acquired Grichuk from the Cardinals in May 2019, trading Conner Greene and Dominic Leone to St. Louis. Greene went on to appear in 24 major league games and is currently pitching in the Astros’ minor league system. Leone, now with the White Sox—his seventh team since leaving Toronto—continues to pitch in the majors.
Grichuk was a polarizing player in Toronto. He often started seasons strong, prompting optimism that he had adjusted his approach at the plate. However, after his hot streaks faded, he typically settled into a level of performance just below what was needed for a regular outfield role.
He played four seasons with the Jays. In 2022, he played 128 games, hitting .243/.289/.461 with 90 home runs before departing as a free agent at season’s end.
Grichuk was later traded to the Rockies for Adrian Pinto and Raimel Tapia. Tapia hit .265/.292/.380 in 128 games for Toronto before leaving as a free agent. Since then, he’s played for the Red Sox, Brewers and Rays. He’s playing in Mexico now.
Pinto is currently playing for the Fisher Cats, hes’s hitting .243/.345/.427 with 2 home runs in 29 games. He’s only 23, so he still has time to make it to the majors.
Since leaving the Blue Jays after the 2020 season, Grichuk has played for the Rockies, Angels, Diamondbacks, Royals, Yankees and now the White Sox. He’s having a very nice career.
For some reason I often confuse him with Kevin Pillar.
Happy birthday, Randal.
Today is Corey Patterson’s 47th birthday. I have a hard time believing he’s that old.
Patterson played 89 games for the Blue Jays in 2011, hitting .252/.287/.379 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases (caught eight times).
He played the outfield in a style reminiscent of Gurriel, though without the benefit of a strong arm.
At the plate, Patterson was known for chasing high pitches, and when he managed to connect, it was always entertaining—perhaps encouraging him to keep trying.
He had a costly habit of attempting to steal third base, going 0-for-3 in those attempts despite a solid success rate when stealing second.
Patterson was traded to the Cardinals as part of the Colby Rasmus deal at the 2011 deadline. He hit .157/.189/.235 in 44 games for St. Louis, marking the end of his MLB career.
In total, Patterson played 11 MLB seasons across seven teams, compiling a .252/.290/.400 line with 34 home runs and 218 stolen bases. His best season came in 2006 with the Orioles, when he hit .276/.314/.443 and stole 45 bases.
Patterson profiled as a capable fourth outfielder: a left-handed hitter with some power and speed, able to handle all three outfield positions. By the time he joined Toronto, however, he had lost some speed, which had previously helped compensate for his unconventional routes to fly balls.
Patterson did, however, make a memorable catch for Toronto:
Today is Taijuan Walker’s 34th birthday.
Walker joined the Blue Jays in 2020 via a trade with the Mariners for Alberto Rodriguez, who is now in Double-A and has hit .225/.274/.312 in 79 games this year.
Walker made six starts for Toronto, helping the team secure a Wild Card berth that season.
He posted a 2-1 record with a 1.37 ERA in 26.1 innings.
Following that season, Walker signed with the Mets as a free agent and spent two years in New York. He has now been with the Phillies for two seasons, posting a 5.60 ERA in 10 starts this year before landing on the injured list.
Over 11 MLB seasons, Walker has compiled a 72-59 record with a 4.05 ERA in 208 games.
Happy birthday, Taijuan.
It is also Mason Fluharty’s 25th Birthday
At 25 he’s pitched in 118 games (and, at the moment leads the league in appearances this season at 63). He has a 4.20 career ERA. In his two seasons, he’s held lefties to a .536 OPS (right-handers .769).
Chase Lee turns 28 today
Chase has pitched in 6 Jays games this year. Last year he pitched in 32 games for the Tigers.