Heading into spring training, Brett Cecil (right), Aaron Loup (left), Todd Redmond and newcomer Marco Estrada would appear to have four of the bullpen jobs sown up with three of the remaining openings to be determined.STEVE NESIUS/Reuters
The Toronto Blue Jays, desperate for bullpen help heading into the 2015 Major League Baseball season, have agreed to a minor league deal with Ronald Belisario.
According to a story first reported on Sportsnet, the Blue Jays have come to terms with the 32-year-old righthander who will be invited to spring training in the hopes of making the big-league roster.
Belisario struggled with the Chicago White Sox last season, allowing 46 runs in 66 1/3 innings with a bloated 5.56 earned run average.
The Blue Jays are obviously hoping that Belisario will return to the form he displayed the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he proved himself a useful late-inning arm out of the bullpen.
In 2013 with the Dodgers, the Venezuelan posted a 5-7 record with a 3.97 ERA.
Should he make the big-league roster, Belisario will earn $1.7-million (U.S.).
The reported transaction comes just a day after Casey Janssen, the former Blue Jays closer, inked a one year free-agent contract with the Washington Nationals.
With the departure of Brandon Morrow to the San Diego Padres, where he hopes to re-establish his credentials as a starting pitcher, the Blue Jays bullpen remains rather threadbare.
Heading into spring training, Brett Cecil, Aaron Loup, Todd Redmond and newcomer Marco Estrada would appear to have four of the bullpen jobs sown up with three of the remaining openings to be determined.
The Blue Jays also reportedly agreed to terms on a minor-league deal with infielder Ramon Santiago on Thursday.
The American League East team has yet to confirm any of the latest moves.