Blue Jays bring back RHP Kloffenstein on minor-league deal
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The Toronto Blue Jays have signed right-handed starting pitcher Adam Kloffenstein to a minor-league contract with an invite to major-league camp in Spring Training, according to FanSided's Robert Murray.
Kloffenstein, 24, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft.
Kloffenstein progressed through the Blue Jays' minor league system before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of the deal to acquire Jordan Hicks in 2022.
The soft-throwing righty made his MLB debut with the Cardinals on June 20 last year, where he pitched a clean eighth inning and didn't allow a walk or hit.
In 106 career games in the minor leagues, Kloffenstein has an earned-run average of 4.47 with 506 strikeouts in 497.0 innings pitched.
The Blue Jays made their first big signing of the off-season earlier in January when they added outfielder Anthony Santander on a five-year deal, but suffered two setbacks in finishing second in the race to sign coveted free agents Juan Soto (who joined the New York Mets) and Roki Sasaki (who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers).
The big story in Toronto remains the long-term future of first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has told the team he will not negotiate a contract extension after Spring Training begins in February.
Guerrero Jr. is slated to become a free agent at the conclusion of this season and finished sixth in American League MVP voting a season ago after hitting .323 with 30 home runs and 103 runs batted in.