By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed Canadian reliever John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.) to a minor league deal that will pay him $1.65 million in 2019 if he makes the big league club, according to a report from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.

This is not a surprising development given that Axford told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet prior to the Baseball Canada banquet on January 12 that he would like to return to the Blue Jays and planned to contact the front office.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander went 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 45 appearances for the Blue Jays last season before he was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline.

Set to turn 36 on April 1, the Canuck reliever, who has suited up for the Canadian national team on multiple occasions, has registered a 3.87 ERA and notched 144 saves in 543 big league appearances in his 10-year major league career that has included stops with the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, Oakland A’s, Blue Jays and Dodgers.