The Toronto Blue Jays have signed Andrew Vasquez to a one-year contract, marking a return to the American League. The 28-year-old received a Major League deal worth $800,000 following a productive showing in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization to close out last year.
The Dodgers acquired Vasquez from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Stevie Berman one month after the MLB trade deadline. Neither Berman or Vasquez were on a 40-man roster at the time, which made the Minor League trade a possibility.
Furthermore, because it was finalized before 12 a.m. ET on Sept. 1, Vasquez was eligible to appear in the postseason for the Dodgers. He was added their active roster the following day and made two appearances before getting optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sept. 6.
Vasquez appeared in two Major League games last season, allowing one unearned run over 1.2 innings and striking out three of the six batters he faced while with the Dodgers.
In six games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Vasquez pitched to a 3.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He was non-tendered by the Dodgers and became a free agent at the beginning of December.
Selected in the 32nd round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Westmont College, Vasquez has pitched in 12 games across three Major League seasons, with a career 8.10 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work.
Dodgers re-sign Jimmy Nelson
While the Dodgers were undergoing roster turnover following the 2019 season, they took a chance on Jimmy Nelson and hoped he would help fortify their pitching depth and bring versatility to the staff.
He wound up not pitching for the team during the 2020 season and was limited by injuries last year. Nevertheless, the Dodgers re-signed Nelson to a one-year contract with a team option for the 2023 season.
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