Blue Jays Land ‘Ernie Clement Clone’ After Bo Bichette Leaves Shortstop Void
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 1: Ernie Clement #22 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on during the seventh inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on May 1, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)
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Getty ImagesThe Toronto Blue Jays entered this season with some new veteran stars, including Kazuma Okamoto, Dylan Cease and Tyler Rogers, looking to build on an American League pennant campaign last year.
And, as a result, the farm system has been more of an afterthought. But the Blue Jays do have several young position players looking to climb up the minor league ladder and contribute on the big-league level sooner rather than later.
The team added to that depth on Saturday during the MLB Draft, particularly at the shortstop position that was thinned with the loss of a recent franchise icon.
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Toronto Blue Jays Acquire Promising Future Shortstop After Bo Bichette Exit
In the immediate aftermath of Bo Bichette’s exit to the New York Mets, the Blue Jays moved Andres Gimenez to the shortstop position with Luis Urias and Ernie Clement providing some additional depth.
And the team has some promising future options at the position already with Arjun Nimmala and JoJo Parker turning heads in the lower levels.
But on Saturday, the team also sought to add an accomplished college player to that mix when it drafted University of Oregon infielder Ryan Cooney.
"The Toronto Blue Jays selected Oregon infielder Ryan Cooney in the third round on day one of the Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday,” the school reported. “Cooney was the 103rd overall pick, the sixth highest selection of a position player in the modern era of Oregon Baseball… Cooney is the second Ducks' player selected by the Blue Jays and is the fifth Oregon player picked in the third round of the MLB Draft."
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Toronto Blue Jays’ New Shortstop Seen As ‘Ernie Clement Clone’
Cooney, who earned First-Team Big Ten Conference honors in his college career, is a versatile defender and the Blue Jays compared him to an infield star immediately after landing him in the draft.
“(Toronto Blue Jays amateur scouting director Marc) Tramuta describes Ryan Cooney as an ‘Ernie Clement clone’ with a polished, high-contact bat,” Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling relayed on X, formerly Twitter. “If Cooney can tap into more power, it'll be a bonus. Cooney has played mostly second base but Tramuta says Blue Jays could try him at short early on in his minor-league career.”
For an organization that has consistently valued contact hitters capable of playing multiple infield positions, the comparison is noteworthy. Clement has become one of Toronto's most dependable defensive players, earning regular playing time because of his versatility and ability to consistently put the ball in play. And without Bichette in the fold, the Blue Jays could be looking for a new shortstop with those qualities soon.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com