Blue Jays sign right-hander VandenHurk

[LittleOzzy]

The Blue Jays signed right-hander Rick VandenHurk to a non-guaranteed split Major League contract on Wednesday.

VandenHurk, 26, appeared in four games for the Orioles last season, including two starts. He allowed eight earned runs in nine innings, and spent the majority of 2011 in Triple-A, going 9-13 with a 4.43 ERA while posting a .239 average against.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound VandenHurk, an Eindhoven, Netherlands, native, has appeared in 46 Major League games in the last five seasons with Baltimore and Florida, going 8-10 with a 5.97 ERA.

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/ar ... r&c_id=tor

[Indiana Jones]

solid addition to the club.

[Schad]

As far as February minor league contract pickups go, VandenHurk isn't a bad one. They'll use him as a AAA starter and possible emergency call-up, most likely, but he's one of those near-washouts that could turn into a usable reliever as well...transition to relief could get his fastball up to the 94 MPH range, and while it's pretty straight and his control kinda blows, that's largely the profile of every no-hoper who turned into a decent 'pen option. Odds of it happening are low, but it's no risk/some reward.

[Randle McMurphy]

I remember both Bautista and Lawrie hitting HRs off this guy in September. I guess the Jay liked what they saw, anyway?

[Schad]

I remember both Bautista and Lawrie hitting HRs off this guy in September. I guess the Jay liked what they saw, anyway?

Yeah, surprises me that teams keep trying to use him as a starter (and we may as well), because his fastball just isn't enough in that role. Might not be enough as a reliever either, but the standard ~2 MPH bump could make him useful, at least.

Edit: SSSW, but he has a 100 point OPS split between starting and relieving. His .782 line as a reliever still ain't good, but suggests that he might have some chance to stick as a long man.