Retired center fielder Kevin Kiermaier has joined the Blue Jays front office as a special assistant, as noted by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Kiermaier wrapped up his MLB career with the Dodgers this year after being traded by Toronto at the trade deadline, but he played for the Blue Jays in each of the past two seasons after spending the bulk of his career with the Rays. Kiermaier’s role hasn’t been strictly defined, but he told Matheson that he pitched himself to the Jays as an “outfield whisperer.”
“Please, just trust me. Let me be a part of this. Let me bounce around,” Kiermaier told the club, as relayed by Matheson. “Let me offer my services here, from top to bottom in the organization. Let me show you what I can do. Let me be the outfield whisperer to these guys.”
It’s hard to argue with Kiermaier’s resume, which should make him very well-suited to a role coaching outfielders on defense all throughout the organization. The 34-year-old wasn’t drafted by the Rays until the 31st round of the 2010 draft, but worked his way through the organization on the back of his defensive prowess and went on to have a strong career in the majors that saw him earn four Gold Glove awards in center field and play in 12 MLB seasons. While he was a decent hitter who provided roughly league average offensive value, defense was Kiermaier’s calling card as he accumulated 26.7 fWAR and 36.5 bWAR throughout his career.
While he ultimately wound up with the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Kiermaier talked about serving as an outfield instructor for the Rays and one other team before reaching an agreement with Toronto on his new special assistant role. He expressed his excitement about his new role to Topkin, but made clear he has absolutely no plans to attempt to make a comeback as a player in any capacity.
“I’ve done light stuff at the gym, and my body still just doesn’t feel great,” Kiermaier said, as relayed by Topkin. “I’m like, there is just no way I could ever get through a season again. And I don’t want to. I went out the way I wanted to, and now I am focusing my sights elsewhere. So. I’m a happy man.”
Daulton Varsho is expected to be the club’s primary center fielder, and he’s grown into one of the top defensive outfielders in the game. With that being said, it’s certainly possible Kiermaier could help the club’s other outfielders reach a new level with the glove in a coaching role. Incoming slugger Anthony Santander and youngsters like Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider and Joey Loperfido could all benefit from Kiermaier’s tutelage to say nothing of prospects further down the organizational ladder. A Florida native, Kiermaier is expected to be in Dunedin with the club during spring training before traveling around the club’s affiliates at various points throughout the season.
