Blue Jays Spring Training invites 2023-24
The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms with the following free agents on Minor League contracts with invites to 2024 Major League Spring Training:
- OF Steward Berroa
- UTIL Rafael Lantigua
- C Max McDowell
Berroa, 24, split last season between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo, combining to bat .257 while stealing 47 bases on 57 attempts. The native of Santo Domingo signed with Toronto as an international free agent in 2016. Over the course of six Minor League campaigns and 434 games, the speedy outfielder has held a .247 batting average and swiped 203 bases.
Lantigua, 25, batted .305 over 129 contests for Triple-A Buffalo in 2023 while starting games at six different defensive positions. The 5-7, 155 lb. Dominican took home both the Joe De Sa Most Inspirational Player and the ‘Fremo’ Vallone Community Service Awards for his efforts with the Bisons. Since signing with the Blue Jays in 2016, Lantigua has played in 550 Minor League games, batting .280 across seven teams within the organization.
McDowell, 29, played 71 Minor League games in the Philadelphia organization last season before he was traded to the Blue Jays on September 16. The right-handed hitting catcher finished his 2023 campaign with three games for Triple-A Buffalo, completing his year with a .233 batting average and a .693 OPS. The Pittsburgh native was drafted in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 and has since kept a .227 average across 561 Minor League contests.