Jays sign Joba to Minor League deal
Veteran reliever will head to Triple-A Buffalo before team decides next move
OAKLAND -- The Blue Jays added some depth to their bullpen on Tuesday evening by signing right-hander Joba Chamberlain to a Minor League contract.
Chamberlain is currently working out at the club's Minor League complex in Dunedin, Fla. At some point in the near future, he will report to Triple-A Buffalo and from there the club will monitor his progress.
The 29-year-old was designated for assignment by the Tigers earlier this month. He posted a 4.09 ERA with 15 strikeouts and five walks over 22 innings of work. The nine-year veteran has a career ERA of 3.82 after spending time with Detroit and the Yankees.
It's not immediately clear how Chamberlain would fit into the Blue Jays' plans for the bullpen, but the club has been looking to upgrade that area and it's possible that the veteran righty has a chance to crack the big league roster.
Right-hander Aaron Sanchez will join Toronto's bullpen when he is activated from the disabled list later this week. He is expected to pitch alongside Roberto Osuna and Bo Schultz in high-leverage situations late in games.
Lefties Brett Cecil and Aaron Loup along with right-hander Liam Hendriks also appear to have secure jobs. That could leave the status of right-handers Ryan Tepera and Steve Delabar in question with Sanchez and possibly Chamberlain entering the mix.
Chamberlain saw his career hit a bit of a road block following a pair of disappointing seasons with the Yankees from 2012-13. He regained some value last season in Detroit with a 3.57 ERA over 63 innings but some regression in the second half of the year carried into 2015 as well.