Seattle Mariners | The happy move of Abraham Toro

Nobody likes to make and break boxes. More than anyone, hockey player Brent Ashton, traded nine times, would probably have done without some of these trips.

Frederick Duchesneau
The Press

But in professional sports, it’s been shown time and time again, moves can launch or re-launch careers.

At the end of last July, Quebecer Abraham Toro had the experience for the first time, when he moved from the talented Houston Astros to the Seattle Mariners, where the chances of cementing his place in the majors seemed much more interesting.

Moreover, in an interview with our colleague Jean-François Téotonio a month before the transaction, Marc Griffin had – presciently – mentioned the idea that a change of scenery could prove to be lifesaving for the Quebecer.

“Abraham is never going to ask that and he never asked either. But for me, he has too much talent for him to be stuck either in the AAA or as a reserve in the major leagues, “said the analyst to RDS.

In 60 games with the Mariners last year, the Longueuillois batted for .252, with 11 doubles, 5 homers and 26 RBIs.

And he’s coming off a strong training camp, which he finished with a .364 batting average.

Explinations ? “The trigger, honestly, is just playing every day. It’s easier to make the adjustments and to feel comfortable, especially at the bat”, maintains Abraham Toro, in an interview with The Press Thursday morning, a few hours before his team’s game against the White Sox in Chicago.

At the time of the interview, however, the happy streak at the plate had not carried over from the Cactus League to the regular schedule. In his first four games, the ambidextrous hitter had collected just one hit in 16 at bats. No worries in the voice about it, that said.

“It’s just a matter of small adjustments, timing that isn’t where I want it yet,” said Toro, whose nickname “Bull” caught on in Seattle.

He did not play in the next two games. Then, Saturday night, he was shut out in three at bats against the Houston Astros while playing at third base.

“Our Ben Zobrist”

Now that he’s no longer stuck behind the Astros’ slew of big names, Abraham Toro feels like he’s taken off.

“Yeah, I’d say I’m established, but I don’t want to get too comfortable either. You have to continue to work as hard as in the first game because there is always someone behind who wants your position. »

From the outside, the acquisitions of second baseman Adam Frazier and third baseman Eugenio Suárez seemed ominous for the only Quebecer in the major leagues, if we disregard Montreal-born Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

But in training camp, general manager Jerry Dipoto opened his game by indicating what he wanted from Abraham Toro.

“We hope he can become our Ben Zobrist,” he said.

Zobrist, the player most often cited when it comes to versatility on the baseball field, was notably named most valuable player to his team during the conquest of the World Series by the Chicago Cubs in 2016. In short, a flattering comparison… which carries a certain amount of pressure. Toro doesn’t see it that way.

Last season, with Houston, he practically only played at third base. Then with Seattle, exclusively at second base, a position he had previously held somewhat in the minor ranks.

In training camp this year, he played three bases and left field. He had never been walked so much in the spring, he said, but he had been told.

If the expectations placed on Toro are high, they are also high on the entire team. By 2021, the Mariners had come a hair’s breadth from ranking as wild cards after a 90-win season.

With the various acquisitions, including that of left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray, winner of the Cy Young trophy in the American last year, the word “playoff” comes up regularly in conversations in Seattle.

Their last presence? After a harvest of 116 victories, in 2001. An odyssey that ended against the New York Yankees in the championship series.