Blue Jays sign reliever Chad Green to 2-year, $8.5M deal

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
0 Comments

TORONTO — Free agent reliever Chad Green and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a two-year, $8.5 million contract that includes options for 2025 and 2026.

Green is likely to miss at least the early portion of next season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He injured his pitching elbow last May with the New York Yankees and was sidelined the rest of the year.

The right-hander got off to a solid start in 2022 with a 3.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 15 innings. He left New York’s game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 19 with right forearm discomfort and three days later the Yankees announced he needed Tommy John surgery.

Typical recovery time for the ligament-replacement procedure is 12-18 months.

The 31-year-old Green is 33-22 with a 3.17 ERA in seven major league seasons, all with the Yankees. He has 11 saves and 53 holds.

Green has struck out 494 batters and walked only 96 in 383 2/3 innings. He set personal bests in 2021 with 10 wins, 67 appearances and 83 2/3 innings while posting a 3.12 ERA.

To make room on the 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher Matt Gage was designated for assignment by Toronto.

The Blue Jays also appointed Jeff Ware (bullpen) and David Howell (strategy) as assistant pitching coaches. The team said the rest of last year’s big league coaching staff will return this season.

Anthony Rendon fan interaction video looked into by MLB

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
0 Comments

OAKLAND, Calif. – Major League Baseball is looking into a video circulating on social media that appears to show Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon grab a fan by the shirt through the bleacher guardrails after Thursday night’s game in Oakland, a league spokesperson said Friday.

Rendon looks to have grabbed the fan’s shirt near his chest through the bars of the railing and exchanged words with him before appearing to take a swipe at the bill of the man’s ballcap and walking into the tunnel.

Angels spokesman Adam Chodzko says the team has no comment. The Angels do not play Friday, but the club expects Rendon to address the video Saturday in the clubhouse before the game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland.

The video shows the fan, dressed in A’s colors, approach the railing as Rendon turns toward him from the tunnel walkway below. Rendon then appears to grab the man’s shirt and ask him what he just said, accusing the fan of calling him a derogatory term before swiping at his ballcap.

The A’s won the game 2-1.