Travis Snider swinging hot bat for Blue Jays' Triple-A club in Las Vegas - Toronto Star

Travis Snider is exceeded expectations with Toronto's Triple-A club, the Las Vegas 51s.

TORONTO STAR/Rene Johnston

Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter

Travis Snider has done several interviews over the last few weeks but not all of them have dealt solely with his eye-popping start to the season with the Las Vegas 51s.

The slugging outfielder with the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate was also asked about the possibility of a trade to another organization.

It’s a subject that has entered his mind at a time when his sizzling start suggests he’s a keeper and a potential blue chip addition to the Jays’ major league roster in the near future.

“It’s no secret that guys get traded and things happen,” Snider said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.

“If the day comes where I end up somewhere else, I’ll be ready for that step. But at this point in time I’m happy here with the organization. I love the coaching staff at all the levels. I grew up with this organization.”

Snider jammed his right wrist May 3 diving for a ball in the outfield and missed a week of action. The 2006 first-round pick, and perennial prospect, returned to the lineup on Wednesday as the DH.

This isn’t the first time Snider has dominated in the Pacific Coast League, Snider’s future with the Jays appears to be tied to both his ability to consistently dominate the PCL, and what how the team’s current left fielder Eric Thames performs this season.

Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, thwarted in his off-season pursuit of a solid starting pitcher, has turned to the organization’s impressive pool of minor league pitching prospects. Utilizing young arms like right-hander Drew Hutchison, who made his major league debut last month, shows that the organization won’t hesitate to tap into its farm system to fill holes on the big club.

Anthopoulos said recently he would like to add a premium bat to his starting nine, but again, only on terms he and his staff have measured out.

“I don’t think Travis is concerned about Eric Thames in that his future is tied to what Eric does,” Las Vegas manager Marty Brown said in a telephone interview.

“Travis’ attitude is to control what he can control. Last year was different, he had a different mind set. It was like hurry up and I have to do this and that to get back up to the big leagues. This year he’s committed to playing the best he can and to be ready when someone makes the decision that he can return to the major leagues.”

Thames won what was billed in spring training as a competition with Snider for the every day job in left. Thames was considered to have a more advanced bat, and he has performed well so far this season, and will likely be given at least 200 at-bats before any kind of evaluation or decision on his future is made.

Thames, like Snider, worked exhaustively in the off-season to improve all aspects of his game. Considered “behind” Snider defensively, he teamed with the Jays first base-outfield coach Torey Lovullo and came into 2012 with notable improvements in his throwing and ability to read routes to the ball.

Snider’s output so far this season has exceeded expectations. Through 21 games he posted a line of .370/.447/.642/1.089 (average, OBP, slugging, and OPS), with four home runs, 24 RBIs, 12 walks and 13 strikeouts.

Those stats also raise speculation about whether Snider can finally reproduce such numbers in the big leagues. For now, it looks like the team will keep Snider at the Triple-A level to see if he can consistently deliver.

“He’s been consistent so far, and that’s one of the problems he had here (Las Vegas) before, he’d carry us for a week or so, then there’d be a lull,” Brown said.

“The rest of his game is pretty tight, throwing, base running, his defence, I think he’s always been a pretty solid outfielder, he gets the most out of what he’s got, he takes good routes to the ball.”

The question is what to do with Snider if he continues to mature and blossom offensively? If he’s brought up to Toronto, it could be for good, but the possibility of a trade is still out there. After all, the Jays swapped front-end starter Shawn Marcum for third basemen Brett Lawrie two seasons ago.

Snider, who is gelling with noted Triple-A batting coach Chad Mottola, is well on his way to erasing the knock that his success only comes in streaks.

“They understand each other more in the cage now,” Brown said of the relationship between Mottola and Snider.

“Travis is a total pro, a really mature 24-year-old. He’s a leader on our club, when the game isn’t being played the right way, Travis is the first to step up and talk to a young Anthony Gose or a young Moises Sierra.

“He doesn’t feel an obligation, but he has gone through a lot of things for a 24-year-old player. Even our older guys haven’t seen as much as he’s seen. Last year he had one goal, to get back up to the big leagues, but now it’s when he gets back up there, he will stay up there.”

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