January 22, 2025

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms with the following free agents on Minor League contracts with invites to 2025 Major League Spring Training:

-C Christian Bethancourt

-LHP Richard Lovelady

Bethancourt, 33, split the 2024 season between the Miami Marlins and the Chicago Cubs, combining to appear in 62 games, batting .209 with seven doubles, five home runs, and 22 RBIs while throwing out 12 runners behind the plate. The right-handed hitter from Panama City, Panama was originally signed as an international free agent by the Atlanta Braves in 2008, making his MLB debut for the club in 2013. In 428 career MLB contests between the Braves, Padres, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, and Cubs, he has batted .229 with 60 doubles, 35 home runs, 135 RBIs, and a total of 58 runners caught stealing.

Lovelady, 29, made a total of 35 combined appearances between the Chicago Cubs and the Tampa Bay Rays last season, 28 of which came with the Rays where he posted a 3.77 ERA with a 7.6% walk rate, a 16.8% strikeout rate, and a 54.5% groundball rate. The Hinesville, Ga., native was selected by the Royals in the 10th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Kennesaw State University, making his way to the MLB level for the club in 2019. The left-hander has appeared in 108 contests in his MLB career between the Royals, Athletics, Cubs, and Rays, recording a 4.98 ERA in 99 1/3 innings with a 51.7% groundball rate.