CLEVELAND — Bradley Zimmer ran out of chances and time with the Guardians.
Cleveland traded the often-injured outfielder to the Toronto Blue Jays for substitute Anthony Castro on Thursday.
The teams announced the deal shortly after Cleveland lost their season opener – and their first game as Guardians – 3-1 at Kansas City.
Zimmer has been an enticing talent since he emerged with the Guardians in 2017. However, the 1.80m tall Zimmer could not keep himself healthy as he showed so much promise early in his career.
The 29-year-old missed most of the three seasons with a series of injuries and surgeries before returning in 2021 and playing in 99 games — his most since 17. Zimmer struggled with eight homers and 35 RBI against a .237 last season.
He was one of several players to compete for one of the Guardians’ open-corner outfield positions, but he was beaten by rookie Steven Kwan. Cleveland decided to move Zimmer because of pitching depth.
Zimmer had spent his entire career with Cleveland, who picked him #21 overall in the 2014 draft.
The 26-year-old Castro was with Toronto and Detroit. Last season, he split between Triple-A Buffalo and Toronto, going 1-2 with a 4.74 ERA and one save in 25 games.
The Venezuelan, who still has a minor league option, began his career in the Tigers’ system in 2012. He opened the season in Buffalo’s Triple-A roster and will join Cleveland’s active roster in Kansas City on Saturday.