January 18, 2020

By Andrew Hendriks

Canadian Baseball Network

TORONTO -- With less than a month to go before pitchers and catchers report in Dunedin, the Toronto Blue Jays and free-agent second baseman Joe Panik have come to terms on a minors pact that includes an invite to big league camp this spring.

Panik, 29, is a veteran of six MLB campaigns, the majority of which have come as a member of the San Francisco Giants. Through 682 assignments, the 6-foot-1 product of Yonkers, N.Y., has slashed .271/.334/.384 with 178 extra-base hits and an OPS of .718.

A first-round draft pick of the Giants in 2011 (29th overall), Panik was designated for assignment last summer and subsequently released on August 7. He finished out his 2019 campaign with the New York Mets, batting .277 with a pair of home runs across 94 at-bats.

First reported by the Sun's Rob Longley, Panik's deal is said to be in the $2.85M range with performance bonuses that kick in if he makes the big league squad.

A Gold Glove winner in 2016, all of Panik's 644 defensive assignments have come at second base in the big leagues. Should he make the team, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo could look to utilize his super-utility man Cavan Biggio in the outfield on a semi-regular basis in 2020.

Blue Jays also ink Dull

The Blue Jays also agreed to term with free-agent righty Ryan Dull on a one-year, minor league contract that comes with an invite to spring training next month.

Dull, 30, suited up for three major league squads in 2019 and finished his trek around the American League as a member of the Blue Jays on September 27. Through 11 appearances on the season, the 5-foot-9 native of Winston-Salem, N.C., posted a career-high K/9 of 10.57 while allowing 18 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings.

A 32nd-round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2012, Dull has appeared in parts of five Major League seasons and owns a career ERA of 4.31 through 171 relief assignments dating back to his debut with the A's in 2015. Those numbers include an exceptional 2016 campaign that saw the big league sophomore post career bests in WHIP (0.874), H/9 (6.9), ERA (2.42), and innings pitched with 74 1/3.

He'll compete alongside fellow right-handers Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.), Anthony Bass, Hector Perez, and Thomas Hatch for a spot in the Blue Jays' bullpen this spring.

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