As much of North America stockpiled groceries for the weekend winter storm, the Toronto Blue Jays were stockpiling pitching depth.
With spring training less than a month away, the Blue Jays have to feel confident in their revamped pitching staff after signing the likes of Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers. But it doesn’t hurt any team to have a couple of extra veterans coming to spring training in hopes of winning an unlikely roster spot.
Earlier this week, the Blue Jays signed an arm who fits that description perfectly.
According to the official transactions log on his roster page, veteran right-hander Connor Seabold signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Seabold, who pitched seven games in the majors last year for the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves, will look to hit the refresh button in Florida with the Blue Jays.
In his four-year major league career, Seabold is 1-11 with a 7.79 ERA. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox briefly in 2021 and 2022, then had a spot in the Colorado Rockies rotation for much of the 2023 season, but allowed 116 hits in 87 1/3 innings and posted a 7.52 ERA.
Once a third-round pick for the Philadelphia Phillies, Seabold was included in the 2020 trade that sent right-hander Nick Pivetta to the Red Sox. Pivetta became a staple of the rotation, but Seabold was traded to Colorado 2 1/2 years later for cash considerations.
Perhaps a move to the bullpen is in Seabold’s future, and if his stuff ticks up from the 92.4-mph average fastball he’s demonstrated in years past, he could be something of a secret weapon. As things stand, he’s stretched out as a starter, and will hope to show much better results in his age-30 season than he ever has in the past.
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