SPORTSNET.CA

Veteran catcher Michael Barrett has received an invitation to Spring Training from the Toronto Blue Jays, according to an MLB.com report on Monday, signing a minor-league deal with the club.

The 32-year-old backstop will be looking to impress at camp following an injury-plagued 2008 season. Barrett appeared in only 30 games for the San Diego Padres after being struck in the face with a foul ball off his own bat. He finished the season with two home runs and nine RBIs while batting .202.

Barrett's major league career began in 1998 with the Montreal Expos. In 1,047 games with the Expos, Chicago Cubs and Padres, the Atlanta, Georgia native has 97 home runs and 422 RBIs with a .264 average.