Blue Jays add Hudson to bullpen, re-sign Axford

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed RHP Daniel Hudson to a one-year, major league contract. Photo: Toronto Blue Jays/Twitter

By Jay Blue

Blue Jays from Away

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed reliever Daniel Hudson to a major league deal after he was released by the Los Angeles Angels.

Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi was the first to report the deal..

Hudson, as reported, will be on a major-league contract, earning $1.5 million in 2019 with up to $1.5 million in bonuses. Hudson's signing helps the Blue Jays fill some gaping holes in their bullpen with just Ken Giles, Joe Biagini and Tim Mayza guaranteed spots (with Ryan Tepera and John Axford injured) and Sam Gaviglio, Thomas Pannone, Trent Thornton and Sean Reid-Foley on the 40-man and gunning for either Ryan Borucki's spot or a spot in the bullpen and Rule-5 draftee Elvis Luciano looking to try to stick in the bullpen.

With the sheer number of injuries, the signing of Hudson, who was in spring training with the Angels, posting a 6.75 ERA in 6 2/3 innings, giving up just five hits and two walks but three of those five hits went for home runs and his quality of opponents was pretty solid (above triple-A level). The nine-year major-league veteran has 619 2/3 innings of major league baseball under his belt with a 3.99 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, striking out 7.9 batters per nine innings and walking 2.8. Last year, for the Dodgers, Hudson had a 4.11 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 46 innings, striking out 8.6 batters per nine innings and walking 3.5 batters per nine.

Solid numbers, if not spectacular from the 32-year-old Hudson, but the Blue Jays could use some solid in their bullpen until the return of Ryan Tepera (who can start throwing this week) and the arrivals of Bud Norris and David Phelps.

In other news, the Blue Jays announced that they re-signed John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.) to a minor league deal. Axford, who has been sidelined by a stress reaction in his right elbow, had been released from the initial minor league contract he signed with the club in the off-season on Saturday. He will now attempt to rehabilitate his elbow under the watchful eye of Blue Jays’ personnel.

*Article updated by the Canadian Baseball Network

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