Blue Jays finally sign Daric Barton

For almost as long as I have known long-time Bluebird Banter reader PIkachu, he has wanted the Blue Jays to sign Daric Barton (see this insightful comment). And finally, after years and years of pining, the Blue Jays have done just that. Via press release, they've announced that they have signed first baseman Daric Barton to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.

Barton was a first-round selection by the Cardinals in 2003 and was packaged along with Dan Haren in the Mark Mulder trade about a year later. He made his major league debut at age 21 way back in 2007 and had a full-time job by 2008, but he has failed to hit well in the major leagues except for a standout season in 2010. That inability forced him to spend significant time in triple-A Sacramento in the past three seasons.

The 29-year-old bats left and throws right, from a shoulder that has periodically given him some trouble. He suffered a torn labrum that shortened his 2011 season

With Dan Johnson leaving the organization for the Astros, Barton would seemingly be the one tapped to fill in first base duties down in Buffalo in 2015 unless he somehow makes the team out of spring training. But that's OK. Buffalo is still close enough for Pikachu to drive down and see him play.