Blue Jays bring back Ray for $8 million
The Blue Jays are off to a hot start to the hot stove, bringing back left-hander Robbie Ray with their first free-agent signing of the off-season.
The one-year deal, first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and later confirmed by the club, is worth $8 million (U.S.). The 29-year-old Ray has worked on one-year contracts throughout his career, the last one at $9.43 million.
Ray joined the Jays from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Aug. 31 trade deadline, with lefty Travis Bergen going the other way, and will be an option for the starting rotation.
The southpaw issued the most walks in the majors this past season — 45 in 51 2⁄3 innings — but his ERA improved with the Jays (4.79 in 20 2⁄3 innings, after soaring to 7.84 in 31frames with the D-Backs).
Manager Charlie Montoyo and pitching coach Pete Walker showed confidence in Ray in Game 1 of the Jays’ wild-card series against Tampa, going to the lefty after three shutout innings by starter Matt Shoemaker. After the controversial switch, Ray give up a triple to Tampa breakout start Randy Arozarena, who would eventually score on a wild pitch, but nothing else over three innings while striking out five. After that game, Montoyo justified the move by saying Ray had been one of their best pitchers down the stretch.
The counter to all the walks is Ray’s ability to pile up strikeouts: 11.8 per nine innings this past season, and slightly more in each of the three previous years. Add it up and you have a tantalizing rebound candidate, if he can rediscover the strike zone more consistently.
At season’s end, general manager Ross Atkins said the Jays were glad they’d added Ray and Taijuan Walker (from Seattle, now a free agent) for two reasons.
“One of the added benefits — their impact on the team and our push toward the last stretch there, that was significant — but now we have a much better understanding of who they are as we go into free agency and consider them as potential adds to this team,” Atkins said.
The Jays have said they expect to go into next season with eight or nine legitimate starting options from the current group — including Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ross Stripling, Tanner Roark, Anthony Kay, Thomas Hatch, Nate Pearson and Julian Merryweather — while also adding to the mix in the off-season.
Ray’s return is the first piece, but likely not the last.