The Toronto Blue Jays acquired a right-handed pitcher Friday, though it’s not one of the big-name arms the club has targeted for its starting rotation.
The Blue Jays officially claimed right-hander Liam Hendriks off of waivers from the Baltimore Orioles and designated infielder Brent Morel for assignment to create a 40-man roster space for Hendriks.
Hendriks, 25, spent last season with the Minnesota Twins, posting a 6.85 ERA in 10 appearances spanning 47.1 innings. The Perth, Australia native debuted with the Twins in 2011 and has since posted a career ERA of 6.06 with 100 strikeouts, 46 walks and 30 home runs allowed in 156 innings.
The Twins originally signed Hendriks as an amateur free agent in 2007. This marks the third time he has been claimed off of waivers since the 2013 season ended. The Chicago Cubs claimed him in December and the Orioles claimed him later that same month.
The Blue Jays claimed Morel off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox in December. The 26-year old spent the majority of the 2013 season with Chicago’s top affiliate and had been viewed as a candidate to break camp as a utility player off of the bench.
