Blue Jays’ contract with former Cubs OF Ryan Kalish falls through

After signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on December 17, 2014, Ryan Kalish is once again a free agent.

The Chicago Cubs granted Kalish free agency on October 30 of last year. Now, for reasons that are unknown, the deal has fallen through and the outfielder must now search for yet another suitor that is willing to sign him. At 26 years of age, that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Kalish, who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2006, has spent time in Boston and Chicago in his young career and was likely going to start at Triple-A Buffalo with a shot at a mid to late season call up to Toronto. The former top prospect appeared in 57 games last year with the Cubs, and has proven to be, at the very least, a formidable bench player.

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Kalish has also shown the ability to play all three outfield positions at the major league level and is .245/.293/350 lifetime in 412 plate appearances versus big league pitching. And while back and shoulder injuries that caused him to miss the entire 2013 season have plagued him in the past, the left-handed hitter seems poised to have a healthy career moving forward.

With that said, it is likely that the Toronto Blue Jays were concerned about the health of Kalish moving forward and decided that the signing wouldn’t be a wise one. On the other hand, it is possible that he simply failed a physical. Regardless of what took place, don’t expect the Cubs to entertain the possibility of reacquiring the 26-year-old. The direction in which the organization is headed is apparent, so bringing him back just wouldn’t make much sense.

As for Kalish, he’s simply too talented not to be snatched up by another team looking to fill a hole in their roster.

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