Robbie Ray returning to Blue Jays rotation on 1-year, $8M US deal
Left-hander posted 4.79 ERA in 5 games following late-season trade from D-backs
The Toronto Blue Jays re-signed free agent left-hander Robbie Ray to a one-year, $8 million US contract on Saturday.
It is the first reported free-agent deal of the off-season.
Ray, 29, pitched in five games (four starts) with the Blue Jays in September after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in an Aug. 31 trade for fellow southpaw Travis Bergen and compiled a 1-1 record, 4.79 earned-run average and struck out 25 in 20 2/3 innings.
Ray was a combined 2-5 with a 6.62 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) with Toronto and Arizona. He struck out 68 batters and led the majors with 45 walks in 51 2/3 innings.
An all-star for the Diamondbacks in 2017, Ray has a 49-51 career record with a 4.26 ERA in 161 games (157 starts) with the Detroit Tigers (2014), Arizona (2015-20) and Toronto.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> make Robbie Ray signing official.<br>One year, $8 million for the 29-year-old lefty.<br>Ideally, he’s their 4/5 starter when all is said and done this winter.<br>He walks way too many, but there’s upside here if something clicks.
—@ScottyMitchTSNWith files from CBC Sports
