Looks like the comeback kids keep on coming in 2015. First Dontrelle Willis signed, then Joe Blanton and Barry Zito. Now, Puckett’s Pond tweeted out that a former two-time Cy Young Award winner is back in spring training.
Ex-#MNTwins ace Johan Santana has signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. http://t.co/clhHkIVIxS
— Puckett's Pond (@PuckettsPond) February 26, 2015
Santana was inked to a minor league deal and has been invited spring training allowing him to compete for a spot on the 25-man roster. The left handed former Venezuelan sensation has not thrown a big league pitch since 2012, and that was one year removed from missing the entire 2011 season.
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The former Minnesota Twins’ ace is one of the best known Rule 5 Draftees of all time. Signed by the Houston Astros in 1995 as an international free agent, Santana was nabbed by the Marlins in the Rule 5 draft in 1999. They immediately traded him to the Twins, where he would completely dominate the American League and was arguably the best pitcher in baseball between 2004 and 2008. He would be traded to the New York Mets, and whether it was all the innings he had logged or from how hard he threw, Santana would never be the same.
Santana made a failed attempt at a comeback last season with the Orioles before tearing his Achilles and ending all hopes of playing in 2014. Grading on the Curve first reported in January that Santana was once again attempting to find his way back into Major League Baseball with a comeback in the Venezuelan Winter League. He retired his first six batters he faced and his fastball was hitting the low 90s again. He had several suitors such as the New York Yankees scouting him, but he would eventually need to be shutdown with shoulder issues.
The end result was soreness and Santana’s arm checked out, and since there was no structural damage the Blue Jays are giving him a shot. It is a move that comes with little risk, but huge upside if Santana can even get back to half of his form of old. The Blue Jays could have room for him.
Right now the top of the Blue Jays’ rotation seems set with veterans R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle. Marcus Stroman is coming off a breakout debut and Drew Hutchison, who still needs some work, had a solid first full season. That leaves a battle for the fifth spot. The Blue Jays would love to see top prospect Daniel Norris capture that slot and call it a day. Newly acquired Marco Estrada won’t let that happen without a fight and if Santana is in top form by the end of March, suddenly a Blue Jays team that had questionable pitching a few weeks ago will have an abundance.
The reality is that Santana hasn’t thrown a big league pitch in over a year and before that he was already in regression. It will take the spring training of Santana’s life to land a sport on the Opening Day roster, but as he did last year, he showed he is willing to stick in the minors and work on his stuff. Santana was told he couldn’t do it early in his career, so don’t count the veteran left out just yet.
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