Michael Bradley wrote:But Thames will still have options next year. Snider won't. For whatever reason (possibly lack of faith) they don't want to have Snider in the big leagues right now when they still have the option of keeping him in the minors. If Snider were out of options, then he would be starting in LF this season without any hesitation. Keeping him down allows him to pad his numbers in the PCL and either raise his value for a trade while giving the Jays a season to evaluate Thames, or allows him to raise his stock for a spot on next year's team (EE is a FA).
This decision was made before ST even began. Thames will win it barring an injury.
If Snider comes up and doesn't do well his career with the Jays is gone, so they are protecting him by making him do a full season of AAA before bringing him up. The move may be stupid but its not comprehensible. They are just worried he won't stick.
I don't think they are doing it to add to his PCL numbers. David Cooper will be the first to tell you that hitting in that league does not garner much attention from anybody other than outsiders who know nothing about the PCL. Snider did hit very well in the PCL but I know a guy a year younger in a less hitter-friendly league who plays a premium position who OPS'ed for more. (Travis D'Arnaud).
I think its a stretch to say he can learn "nothing" from a trip to the PCL. He can be somewhere consistently for the whole season for the first time in a while, and we can make sure his new mechanics are here to stay.
