Minor League Baseball

Toronto Blue Jays Ink Veteran Jacob Barnes to Minor League Deal

The 34-year-old Barnes has appeared in parts of nine major league seasons and could be a possible bullpen option for Toronto.
Brady Farkas|
Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jacob Barnes (59) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Nationals Park in 2024.
Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jacob Barnes (59) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Nationals Park in 2024. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

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Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are trying to find anyway they can to fix their bullpen, which ailed them big time in 2024.

They've signed premier reliever Jeff Hoffman this offseason while also bringing back veteran Yimi Garcia. They've also flirted with the idea of sending starter Yariel Rodriguez to that unit.

And on Monday, they decided to throw another name into the pile, signing veteran Jacob Barnes to a minor league deal.

The team announced the deal themselves on social media:

Barnes, a 34-year-old righty, has spent nine years in the big leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals. He also previously pitched for the Blue Jays in 2021, making 10 appearances.

Lifetime, he's 16-20 with a 4.68 ERA. He's made 65 appearances and has seven saves.

In addition to adding to the bullpen, Toronto has made multiple big moves this offseason. They signed multi-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to a one-year deal and brought in slugger Anthony Santander on a five-year pact. He hit 44 homers for the Orioles last season.

Furthermore, the Jays made a trade for stalwart defender and Platinum Glove winner Andres Gimenez. That deal was with the Cleveland Guardians, who Gimenez helped get to the ALCS last season.

The Blue Jays are coming off a season in which they finished last in the American League East by going 74-88. With the additions they've made, they should be better in 2025.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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