The Toronto Blue Jays made a massive addition Wednesday by trading for Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman in a multi-player swap that included several of their prospects.
Smith entered Wednesday's play batting .286 and sitting as the Bisons' team leader in hits (82), runs (50), home runs (18) and RBIs (56).
The list included some familiar names, and will thus mean a big hit for the potential roster of the 2022 Buffalo Bisons as infielder Kevin Smith, starter Zach Logue and reliever Kirby Snead are included in the deal.
Smith was the Bisons' most valuable player last season and the All-Star shortstop for Triple-A East after a breakout campaign that earned him his first call-ups to Toronto. Smith. batted .285 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs in 94 games for the Bisons as the Herd won a division championship for the first time since 2005. Smith, who was 3 for 32 in 18 games for the Blue Jays, had a 17-game hit streak for Buffalo in July and a 25-game on-base streak during May and June.
Logue was the Bisons' victory leader last year, going 9-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) after being called up from Double-A New Hampshire.
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Snead was one of Buffalo's most dependable relievers, going 2-0, 1.58 with four saves in 36 games, and had a 2.35 ERA in seven games for the Blue Jays. He appeared at Sahlen Field for both the Jays and the Bisons in 2021.
The deal also included pitcher Gunnar Hoglund, Toronto's first-round choice in 2021 from the University of Mississippi who is on the road back from Tommy John surgery. Hoglund is the second straight first-rounder the Jays have dealt after infielder Austin Martin, who could have been in Buffalo this season, was sent to Minnesota last year in the Jose Berrios deal.
Smith, Logue and Snead all figured to be key members of the Bisons this season but their roads to Toronto were largely blocked. The deal with Oakland likely gives all three a chance to vie for regular duty in the big leagues, as the Athletics are in a complete rebuild.
The Blue Jays announced earlier this week that former Buffalo utility man Casey Candaele will be back for his second season as Bisons manager. The Herd's season opens April 5 in Sahlen Field against the Iowa Cubs, their first April home opener since 2019.
