The Blue Jays announced that they’ve signed left-hander Josh Walker to a one-year contract. Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, the southpaw will make $760K, which is subsequent 12 months’s league minimal. Proper-hander Hagen Danner has been designated for task because the corresponding transfer.
Walker, 30, has a bit little bit of main league expertise. He tossed 22 1/3 innings with the Mets over the previous two seasons, permitting 6.45 earned runs per 9 in that small pattern. He struck out 22.7% of batters confronted whereas giving out walks at an 11.7% clip. He was designated for task by the Mets in July and flipped to the Pirates, although the Bucs designated him for task shortly thereafter and finally launched him.
These main league numbers aren’t particularly spectacular, however the Jays are seemingly interested in his minor league work, the place he has proven enormous strikeout skill but additionally vital management points. He has thrown 89 innings on the farm over the previous three years with a 3.54 ERA, giving out walks to 12.7% of opponents but additionally punching them out at an enormous 33.7% fee. The Jays had been seemingly intrigued sufficient by these numbers to offer Walker a 40-man roster spot.
Remaking the bullpen is an ongoing mission for the Jays after the group allow them to down in 2024. Toronto relievers had a collective 4.82 ERA this 12 months, with solely the Rockies posting a worse quantity in that class. For the reason that season ended, Génesis Cabrera and Jordan Romano had been each minimize from the roster and each have signed with different golf equipment already. The Jays re-signed Yimi García, who they’d traded to the Mariners final 12 months, and in addition acquired Nick Sandlin within the Andrés Giménez commerce.
Previous to this deal, the one lefty relievers on the roster had been Brendon Little, Brandon Eisert and Easton Lucas. It’s a really inexperienced group, as none of these southpaws has even thrown 50 large league innings but. Walker provides one other lefty into that competitors and he nonetheless has an possibility 12 months remaining, as do the opposite three, so they could take turns transferring between the massive leagues and Triple-A all year long. Walker nonetheless has lower than a 12 months of service time, so he may be cheaply retained for a few years to come back if he continues to hold onto his roster spot.
Danner, 26, he was drafted as a catcher however struck out so much within the decrease ranges of the minors and received moved to the mound. In 2021, he tossed 35 2/3 innings at Excessive-A with a 2.02 ERA, 29.4% strikeout fee and eight.4% stroll fee. That was his first skilled season as a pitcher, however he was already Rule 5 eligible because of the years he spent behind the plate. The Jays gave him a 40-man roster spot after that season to forestall him from being plucked away.
He has hit a couple of pace bumps since then. He spent most of 2022 on the injured listing and solely made 4 minor league appearances. In 2023, he was wholesome sufficient to throw 28 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 3.81 ERA. His 31.5% strikeout fee and 6.3% stroll fee had been fairly good, however he allowed eight house runs. He additionally made his main league debut that 12 months however solely tossed one third of an inning earlier than touchdown on the injured listing on account of an indirect pressure. In 2024, he logged 34 1/3 innings on the Triple-A degree with a 3.15 ERA, 23.3% strikeout fee and eight.9% stroll fee.
General, the outcomes haven’t been unhealthy, however he hasn’t been in a position to pitch a lot because of the time spent catching and the well being points. He has simply 114 1/3 skilled innings on his ledger to date and he has only one possibility 12 months remaining.
DFA limbo usually lasts per week, however current years have seen that clock paused over the interval from Christmas to New 12 months’s. On this date final 12 months, Ryan Jensen was designated for task by the Marlins and he wasn’t claimed off waivers by the Twins till Jan. 4, over two weeks later. That can give the Jays a while to see if there’s any commerce curiosity in Danner.
