Without 29-year-old Venezuelan journeyman Ezequiel Carrera, the Toronto Blue Jays might be watching the MLB playoffs from home by now.
A slew of names can be slotted in to Carrera’s spot without changing the accuracy of that statement, but Carrera’s is the most surprising, and therein lies his October value to the Blue Jays.
In the playoffs, every team good. Favourites and underdogs make for a fine narrative, but when a 30-team league is narrowed down to eight, the playing field levels dramatically. For every Edwin Encarnacion, an opponent counters with an Adrian Beltre.