The Toronto Blue Jays have dipped into the left-handed pitching market again and signed 29-year-old Jeff Beliveau to a minor-league contract, with an invite to major-league spring training.
Beliveau spent the majority of his 2016 season with the Baltimore Orioles single-A affiliate, pitching his way back from a torn labrum in his left shoulder he sustained in 2015.
At that time, Beliveau was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen for the second straight season, where he was used mostly as a lefty specialist. He brought a fastball that hovered around the high-80s, low-90s to the mound and complemented it with a cutter. He only made five appearances in 2015 before hitting the shelf, the last one coming against the Blue Jays. In that outing, he recorded four outs and gave up two runs, including a Devon Travis solo shot.
Since returning from injury last season, the 6-foot-1, 190 pound lefty pitched well in the Orioles system. He registered a 2.40 ERA in 45 innings over 27 appearances, averaging 12 strikeouts per nine innings. He earned a promotion to the double-A roster in mid-August and made four appearances there to close out his 2016 campaign.
Beliveau will have a shot at cracking a Blue Jays bullpen that does not currently have any left-handed pitchers pencilled into the opening day lineup. With the recent flurry of lefties joining the fold, Beliveau will be up against T.J. House and Brett Oberholtzer, along with returning Blue Jays Aaron Loup, Chad Girodo and Matt Dermody.
