The Toronto Blue Jays added some organizational infield depth Monday, signing first baseman Casey Kotchman, shortstop Jiovanni Mier and second baseman David Adams to minor league deals.
All three players obtained invitations to MLB Spring Training, much like catcher Humberto Quintero, who signed a minor league deal with Toronto last week.
Kotchman has 10 seasons of MLB experience, most recently as a member of the 2013 Marlins. The left-handed hitter has a career batting line of .260/.326/.385 with 157 doubles and 71 home runs at the MLB level. Kotchman, a former first-round draft pick who’s now 32, spent the 2015 season with the Royals’ triple-A team, where he hit 20 doubles with an .800 OPS in 90 games.
He was a useful offensive player as recently as 2011 when he hit 10 homers with an .800 OPS as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. Still, at this point Edwin Encarnacion, Chris Colabello, Justin Smoak and Matt Hague are ahead of Kotchman on Toronto’s first base depth chart.
Mier, a first-round selection in 2009, recently became a minor league free agent. The right-handed hitting 25-year-old spent the 2015 season with the Houston Astros’ double-A team, where he batted .258/.350/.372 in 443 plate appearances.
Though Mier has mostly played shortstop as a pro, he has some experience playing second and third at the minor league level. Like Kotchman, he’s capable of providing depth in the upper levels of the Blue Jays’ minor league system.
Adams appeared in 43 games for the 2013 Yankees, but has not returned to the big leagues since. The 28-year-old spent the 2015 season playing for the Marlins’ double-A affiliate, where he batted .294/.399/.391 with 12 doubles in 443 plate appearances.
Adams has a lifetime on-base percentage of .372 in parts of eight minor league seasons. The Yankees originally selected him in the third round of the 2008 draft.
