Blue Jays Sign Ex-Cardinals, Royals Pitcher After Inconsistent Season

One former member of the Cardinals has found a new home with the Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are taking a chance on a former member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Toronto officially signed former Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher Mike Mayers to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, according to the club.

"Official: We’ve signed (right-handed pitcher) Mike Mayers to a 2024 Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Training," the Blue Jays said.

Mayers was selected in the third round of the 2013 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft by the Cardinals and eventually made his big league debut with St. Louis in 2016. 

The righty appeared in four games in 2016 and allowed 16 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Overall, he appeared in 73 games for the Cardinals throughout four big league seasons and had a 7.03 ERA and 70-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 80 2/3 innings pitched. 

Mayers was claimed off waivers by the Angels in 2019 and spent three seasons with the club and was much more impressive. He had a 2.10 ERA in 29 appearances in 2020 and a 3.84 ERA in a career-high 72 appearances in 2021. Overall, he had a 4.10 ERA in 125 total appearances with the Angels. 

He signed a minor league deal with the Royals ahead of the 2023 campaign. Mayers appeared in six games at the big league level with the Royals before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. He elected free agency at the end of the season and now will attempt to work his way back to the big leagues with the Blue Jays.

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