"In his first full big league season, Clement slashed .263/.284/.408 with 12 home runs in 452 plate appearances for a 94 wRC+ and 2.1 fWAR, finishing as a finalist for the American League Gold Glove at third base in 2024. Clement was even better in 2025, slashing .277/.313/.398 with nine home runs in 588 plate appearances for a 98 wRC+, finishing with a 3.2 fWAR thanks to strong defence that made him finish as a finalist for both the third base and utility Gold Glove."
"However, Espinal's tenure as a Blue Jay should be remembered fondly. Acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for Steve Pearce, Espinal made his big league debut in 2020, but didn't become a regular until 2021. Without a third baseman, Espinal stepped up into that role and slashed .311/.376/.405 with two home runs in 246 plate appearances with fantastic defence at the hot corner."
"Espinal had a strong 2022 season as well, slashing .267/.322/.370 with seven home runs in 491 plate appearances for a 100 wRC+ and 2.4 fWAR. In fact, Espinal even earned a spot at the All-Star Game that season. The magic was gone by the 2023 season, as Espinal appeared in just 93 games and slashed .248/.310/.355 with two home runs in 254 plate appearances for a 79 wRC+."
Toronto retained Ernie Clement over Santiago Espinal when both players were out of options before the 2024 season. Clement hit .263/.284/.408 with 12 home runs in 452 plate appearances in 2024 for a 94 wRC+ and 2.1 fWAR and was an American League Gold Glove finalist at third base. Clement hit .277/.313/.398 with nine home runs in 588 plate appearances in 2025 for a 98 wRC+ and 3.2 fWAR, and finished as a finalist for both third base and utility Gold Glove. Clement produced a record-setting playoff run with a .411/.416/.562 line and 30 hits. Espinal was acquired from Boston, became a regular in 2021, earned an All-Star spot in 2022, and declined in 2023 before moving on.
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