Blue Jays roster gets a bit smaller
Relief corps leaner, qualifying offers sent, Kershaw stays in L.A.
The Blue Jays continued to rejig their 40-man roster with a handful of moves Friday.
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and third baseman Brandon Drury were reinstated from the 60-day disabled list, per Major League Baseball rules.
Meanwhile, right-handed relievers Jake Petricka, Taylor Guerrieri and Rhiner Cruz all hit free agency after clearing waivers, while fellow righty Justin Shafer was outrighted off the 40-man to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Toronto also said goodbye to left-hander Jose Fernandez, claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers.
The Blue Jays began the day with 38 players on their 40man roster and three on the 60-day DL: Tulowitzki (heel), Drury (hand) and Cruz (groin). They finished with 36, leaving some wiggle room ahead of the deadline for adding Rule 5 draft eligible players on Nov. 20.
The Jays’ minor-league system includes a number of prospects who will need to be protected from that draft, which takes place on Dec.13, including right-handers Hector Perez and Jordan Romano and catcher Max Pentecost.
Petricka made 41 appearances for the Jays this past season with a 4.53 ERA.
Earlier this week, the Jays picked up the $8-million team option (all dollars U.S.) on veteran first baseman Justin Smoak, while declining the $5.5-million option on infielder Yangervis Solarte, who remains on the 40-man roster and arbitration eligible.
Relievers Brandon Cumpton, Preston Guilmet and Luis Santos, who pitched a combined 292⁄ innings for the Jays but finished the year in the minors, all elected free agency earlier.
In other news around the majors before Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline to extend qualifying offers to pending free agents:
Washington outfielder Bryce Harper and Boston closer Craig Kimbrel were among just seven free agents who received $17.9million qualifying offers (all dollars U.S.) from their former clubs. Left-handers Patrick Corbin (Arizona), Dallas Keuchel (Houston) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers) also received offers, as did outfielder A.J. Pollock (Diamondbacks) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (Dodgers). Players have until Nov. 12 to accept. If a team makes a qualifying offer to a player who signs a majorleague contract with another club before the June amateur draft, his former club would receive a draft pick as compensation at the end of the first round. Just five of 73 players given qualifying offers have accepted since the process began in 2012. Top free-agents Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson were ineligible for qualifying offers, which you can only receive once in your career.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw agreed to a three-year, $93-million contract rather than test the market. Kershaw terminated a seven-year, $215million contract that had two years and $65 million remaining. The new deal calls for a $23-million signing bonus — free of state tax because he lives in Texas. “There’s been a lot of people saying that I’m in decline or not going to be as good as I once was,” said Kershaw, whose Dodgers lost in the World Series for the second straight year. “I’m looking forward to proving a lot of people wrong with that.”