Blue Jays Sign Amir Garrett To Minors Contract

The Blue Jays have signed left-hander Amir Garrett to a minor league deal, according to Johnny Giunta of the Gate 14 Podcast.  Garrett will earn a guarantee in the “low seven figures” if he makes Toronto’s active roster, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes.  Garrett has been on the open market since last August, when he was released by the Angels.

A veteran of eight MLB seasons, Garrett tossed a career-low 5 1/3 innings in the Show in 2024, as he spent the majority of the season with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.  The southpaw inked a minors deal with the Giants a year ago but was released near the end of Spring Training, and then quickly caught on with Los Angeles on another minor league contract just prior to Opening Day.  Selected to the Angels’ active roster at the end of April, Garrett had a 5.06 ERA in his brief stint in Anaheim before he was designated for assignment and released in mid-May, only to soon rejoin the Angels on another minors deal.

Control problems have long plagued Garrett’s career, but he kept the walks in check along enough to deliver some good results out of the Reds’ bullpen during the 2018-20 seasons.  It seemed like the former top prospect had carved out a niche for himself as a reliever, but things then went sideways, as Garrett has posted a 5.06 ERA and 15.7% walk rate over 122 2/3 innings since Opening Day 2021.

Garrett’s mid-90’s velocity and strikeout potential is still apparent, as he also has a 27.2% strikeout rate in his last four seasons of big league work.  But, his walk rates have only continued to increase, and Garrett has also had trouble keeping the ball in the park.  The lefty’s minor league numbers weren’t too promising, as he had a 5.08 ERA in 33 2/3 innings with Triple-A Salt Lake in 2024, though with at least a better (10.6%) walk rate and a strong 28.5K%.

Garrett turns 33 in May, so it remains to be seen if he can truly harness his control at this later stage in his career.  If he can limit his walks to even a passable number, the Blue Jays can certainly use such a pitcher in their bullpen mix, particularly since Brendon Little is the only southpaw projected to be part of the relief corps.  Easton Lucas, Josh Walker, and another minor league signing in Richard Lovelady are also in Toronto’s camp battling for a potential bullpen spot if the Jays opt to break camp with a second left-handed reliever.