Blue Jays sign left-hander T.J. House to minor league deal

Blue Jays radio analyst Mike Wilner preaches patience for the fan base, as Shapiro and Atkins are clearly not anywhere close to being finished assembling this team, but they have plenty of time still.

The Toronto Blue Jays added to their collection of arms Wednesday, signing left-hander T.J. House to a minor league contract.

House, who pitched in the big leagues for Cleveland from 2014-16, obtains an invitation to major league spring training according to a Blue Jays announcement.

The 27-year-old has a lifetime ERA of 4.44 with 89 strikeouts and 34 walks in 117.2 big league innings spanning three seasons. He spent most of the 2016 season with Cleveland’s triple-A affiliate, where he posted a 3.98 ERA in 72.1 innings over the course of 12 starts and 21 relief appearances.

House has a career ground ball rate of 59.7 per cent at the MLB level, suggesting he’s capable of generating more than his share of ground balls. His fastball has averaged 90.4 mph while his main secondary pitch is a slider that hovers around 84 mph.

Cleveland initially selected House in the 16th round of the 2008 draft.

House joins a collection of non-roster invitees that includes Jarrett Grube, Casey Lawrence and Brett Oberholtzer.

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