Jays sign Axford to minor-league contract

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have signed Canadian relief pitcher John Axford to a minorleague deal.

The deal, announced by the team on Friday, includes an invitation to major league spring training.

Axford, from Port Dover, Ont., spent the last two seasons with the Oakland Athletics. The righthander pitched 21 innings for Oakland in 2017, going 0-1 with a 6.43 earned-run average, 17 walks and 21 strikeouts.

Axford had his best season in 2011, when he led the league in saves (46) and allowed just 16 earned runs over 73 2/3 innings as a closer for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Axford played five seasons with Milwaukee from 2009-13.

The 34-year-old was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round of the 2001 draft and in the 42nd round by Cincinnati in 2005.

He signed with Milwaukee in 2008.

Meanwhile, veteran lefthanded pitcher Derek Holland has signed a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Holland could compete for a job out of spring training with a rotation that has three set starters in Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.

There are two spots up for grabs, and manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that Ty Blach and Chris Stratton are the leading candidates to fill out those positions.

Blach went 8-12 in his first full major league season and emerged as a strong fill-in for Bumgarner when the 2014 World Series MVP missed nearly three months after an April 20 dirt bike accident in Colorado.