December 15, 2014, 2:00 PM
Free agent first baseman Dan Johnson, who appeared in 15 games for the Toronto Blue Jays during a 2014 season spent largely at triple-A Buffalo, has signed a minor-league deal with the Houston Astros, according to industry sources.
The 35-year-old had a strong season with the triple-A Bisons, batting .232/.381/.434 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in 107 games.
With the Blue Jays, he hit two doubles and a homer with seven RBIs in 38 at-bats.
Johnson, perhaps best known for his game-tying home run with the Tampa Bay Rays in the ninth inning of the 2011 season’s final game, provides the Astros with depth behind Jon Singleton.
He’s slashed .236/.337/.409 with 57 home runs and 201 RBIs in 431 big-league games over nine seasons.