Blue Jays sign free agent reliever amid bullpen injuries

The details of the deal for the CAA Sports client have not yet been publicly reported.

The Blue Jays will have to open a 40-man roster spot but could easily do so by moving Alek Manoah or Angel Bastardo, who both had Tommy John surgery last June, to the 60-day injured list.

The Blue Jays non-tendered Tate in November after he made four appearances for the club in 2024 following a waiver claim.

The 30-year-old posted a 5.40 ERA with four strikeouts during those outings.

Tate pitched five seasons with the Orioles before joining the Blue Jays, authoring a 3.98 FIP and 1.15 WHIP in 186 appearances.

He became a regular out of the Orioles bullpen in 2021, posting a 4.39 ERA and a 4.40 FIP in 67.2 innings pitched, along with a 17.1 K% and an 8 BB%.

Tate's 2022 season was the best of his career, as he had a 3.05 ERA and a 3.48 FIP in 73.2 innings pitched, along with a 20.5 K% and a 5.5 BB%.

Toronto has added several new pieces to its bullpen this winter with the acquisitions of Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia, and Nick Sandlin.

Erik Swanson and Ryan Burr are also sidelined because of injuries. Swanson is scheduled to visit Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Thursday.

Tate was selected fourth overall in the 2015 draft by the Rangers and made his Major League debut in 2019 with the Orioles.

That season, he had a 6.43 ERA and a 5.17 FIP in 21 innings pitched, along with a 21.5 K% and a 9.7 BB%.

The following season in 2020, Tate posted a 3.24 ERA and a 3.55 FIP in 16.2 innings pitched, along with a 21.9 K% and a 7.8 BB%

In 2016, he was traded by the Texas Rangers, along with Erik Swanson and Nick Green, to the New York Yankees in exchange for Carlos Beltran.

A couple of years later, the Yankees moved him to Baltimore as part of the return for Zack Britton.