Dodgers acquire utility man Cavan Biggio from Blue Jays to add another left-handed bat

Cavan Biggio, left, had been designated for assignment last week by the Blue Jays. (Eric Christian Smith / Associated Press)

The Dodgers added a versatile reinforcement to their lineup Wednesday, acquiring utility man Cavan Biggio from the Toronto Blue Jays after he was designated for assignment last week.

Biggio, a six-year veteran and son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, was DFA’d by Toronto last week after batting just .200 in 44 games to start the season.

Since a breakout 2019 rookie campaign (when he finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting) and a strong shortened season in 2020 (when his .250 batting average and .807 OPS were career-highs), Biggio has struggled to produce at the plate.

This year was his fourth in a row posting below league-average numbers. He had just six extra-base hits and nine RBIs in 110 at-bats. A typically disciplined hitter with more than half as many career walks as strikeouts, Biggio also had the worst walk-to-strikeout ratio of his career, with 42 punchouts and just 14 free passes this year.

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For the Dodgers, however, Biggio should bring some balance to both their defense and lineup.

The 29-year-old is a left-handed bat, something the Dodgers have had in short supply since Max Muncy suffered an oblique strain last month.

Biggio is also a versatile fielder, with extensive MLB experience at second base (his primary position), right field, first base and third base (where the Dodgers have mixed and matched players like Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas in Muncy’s absence).

The Dodgers reportedly traded minor-league reliever Braydon Fisher to Toronto in the deal.

To clear room on the roster for Biggio, the Dodgers are optioning outfield prospect Miguel Vargas back to the minors, said people with knowledge of the situation but unauthorized to speak publicly.

Vargas had hit well since being called up last month (five for 20 with three doubles, one home run and four RBIs).

But he was also limited defensively in left field, a new position for him after being the Dodgers opening day second baseman last year. He had played sparingly, making just six starts in the last 21 games. And unlike other struggling Dodgers hitters, including veteran Chris Taylor and his woeful .100 batting average, Vargas had minor-league options — making him an easier corresponding move than Taylor, who still has some $22 million left on a contract that runs through the end of next season.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.