Daz Cameron’s latest run with the Blue Jays has ended the same way it started: with another shot at Triple-A and another opening to prove he still belongs on a big-league roster.
Toronto outrighted the outfielder to Buffalo after he cleared waivers, according to his MLB.com transactions log. The Blue Jays had designated Cameron for assignment on Tuesday, and because he has been outrighted before, he has the option to reject the assignment and elect free agency. Even so, he’s likely to remain with Buffalo and wait for another chance in Toronto.
Cameron spent most of the season with the club’s top minor league affiliate after returning to the States, and he only briefly rejoined the big-league roster. The Blue Jays selected his contract in mid-August after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went down with a concussion.
In eight games with Toronto, Cameron went 5-for-24 with seven strikeouts and no walks. He logged one inning in center field, with the rest of his work coming in left.
His roster spot disappeared as Toronto shuffled pieces when rosters expanded earlier this week. Reliever Joe Mantiply was activated from the 60-day injured list, which forced a 40-man move, and the Blue Jays also brought up infielders Sean Keys and Josh Smith to round out the position player group.
Cameron joined the organization on a minor league deal in early July. Before that, the 29-year-old began the year in Korea with the Doosan Bears, where he hit .287 with nine home runs and nine steals in 75 games.
He also cut down his strikeout rate there to 16.9%, a notable number for a player whose biggest challenge has usually been making enough contact. At Triple-A, he was again putting the ball in play at a respectable rate, posting a 19.4% strikeout rate in 23 games with Buffalo before getting the call.
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