Some unexpected news this afternoon as Blue Jays' infielder Emilio Bonifacio has been traded to the Kansas City Royals according to this tweet by Shi Davidi:
#BlueJays send Emilio Bonifacio to #Royals for player to be named.
Another tweet confirms that cash could also be what Kansas City sends the Blue Jays way:
Deal for Bonifacio is for player to be named or cash.
Emilio has a slash line of .218/.258/.321 this year and is 12/18 in the stolen base department. He started the year playing some atrocious defense, but has stepped it up recently filling in at left field, centre field, and second base.
He was under contract this season for $2.6 million in what is his second year of arbitration eligibility after coming over from Miami in the great Marlins salary dump of 2012. Next year will be his third and final year of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent.
In Kansas City Bonifacio will likely be used as a utility infielder with Alcides Escobar and Chris Getz getting the starts at shortstop and second base respectively. The Royals are currently four games back of a wildcard spot after going 24-14 since the beginning of July.
This move may be what allows room for Kevin Pillar on the roster instead of the expected placement of Colby Rasmus on the disabled list. There's also a chance that another player is brought up from Buffalo if Rasmus does indeed need time on the DL:
Moving Bonifacio clears a 40-man roster spot for Pillar. If Rasmus goes to DL, does Gose join him in Toronto?
It turns out Colby Rasmus does need time on the disabled list and fan favourite Munenori Kawasaki will be making his long awaited return to Toronto:
The @BlueJays select the contract of OF KEVIN PILLAR and recall SS MUNENORI KAWASAKI from @BuffaloBisons (AAA).
COLBY RASMUS has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain, retro-active to August 12th.
More to come...