Blue Jays claim ambidextrous Venditte
Switch-pitcher not eligible for postseason; Barney DFA'd
The Blue Jays claimed ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte off waivers from the A's on Monday and designated infielder Darwin Barney for assignment.
Venditte made his Major League debut with the A's this season, appearing 26 times out of the bullpen and posting a 4.40 ERA over 28 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old was most effective throwing left-handed to left-handed batters, limiting them to a .116 average (5-for-43) with 16 strikeouts. Venditte didn't fare as well against righties, who batted .274/.357/.484 in 71 plate appearances against him.
A 20th-round pick by the Yankees in the 2008 Draft, Venditte owns a 2.39 ERA in the Minors, over eight seasons with New York and Oakland. He is not eligible to pitch in the postseason for the Blue Jays, who play Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday against the Royals at Rogers Centre. (7 p.m. ET air time on FOX Sports 1 and Sportsnet, with game time slated for 8 p.m.)
The Blue Jays acquired Barney from the Dodgers on Sept. 13 to provide infield depth following an injury to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Barney appeared in 15 games for Toronto and went 7-for-23 (.304) at the plate, with two homers and four RBIs.