Friday Bantering: Minor league signings and spring invites

The Jays have made another minor league signing. Brian Moran, a lefty reliever was signed and given an invite to spring training. You might remember, if you have a great memory for trivia (I’m looking at you Minor Leaguer), that the Jays picked him in the Rule 5 draft back in 2013. He was traded to the Angels the same day and then returned to the Mariners later.

Moran has pitched 6.1 major league innings total, all last year, for the Marlins. He’s 31 now, and has 10 minor league seasons under his belt. Last year he had a 3.15 ERA in 60 innings for New Orleans in the PCL.

He’ll be among the several looking for a job in the Jays pen.

The Blue Jays also announced the ‘internal’ non-roster invites to spring training:

• RHP Bryan Baker.
• LHP Travis Bergen.
• RHP Nate Pearson.
• LHP Kirby Snead.
• RHP Ty Tice.
• C Riley Adams.
• C Alejandro Kirk.
• INF Nash Knight.
• INF Kevin Smith.
• ING Logan Warmoth.
• OF Josh Palacios.
• OF Forrest Wall.

I’m interested to see Kirk in action, but I’m not expecting any of them to break camp with the Jays. They get to see how a major league camp works.

We should have a contest to guess which one, if any, we see first in the majors. I’m thinking Travis Bergen appears at some point. But I’m hoping Nate Pearson was will be up at some point.

Our old friend Kendrys Morales has retired. I would imagine he could move into coaching or front office work if he wanted, but that’s up to him.

And there was this:

I’m not sure I could handle him going over to the dark side.

Speaking of the Red Sox, apparently the Mookie Betts trade is no longer a sure thing. Sounds like the Red Sox saw all the bad press and want to renegociate (is that a word?) the deal.

And there is this. I’d be pissed if I was the Angels too.