Blue Jays DFA Chad Jenkins, make Gavin Floyd signing official

The Toronto Blue Jays have designated 2009 first round pick Chad Jenkins for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for new signing Gavin Floyd

The big wheel keeps turning in Toronto as the Blue Jays have officially announced the signing of free agent pitcher Gavin Floyd to a one-year, $1 million major league deal. The deal reportedly includes up to $1 million in incentives (Gideon Turk of Blue Jays Plus had the numbers yesterday) that are awarded for time spent on the active roster.

To make room for Floyd on the 40-man roster, Chad Jenkins has been designated for assignment.

Floyd earning a guaranteed major league deal here is rather surprising as a number of factors pointed towards this being a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training (much like Roberto Hernandez, Scott Diamond and several others).

The 33-year old has pitched just 92.0 major league innings over the past three seasons, and after undergoing a Tommy John surgery plus fracturing a bone in his elbow twice, his health is far from a certainty. As one might expect, these injuries have dropped his average velocities well below the levels he enjoyed earlier in his career and at the peak of his success.

Chad Jenkins, on the other hand, continues to be the odd man out, and could prove to be a valuable addition to another club in need of starting depth or a long man out of their bullpen.

The 2009 first round pick holds a 3.31 ERA over 100.1 major league innings. In 2015 for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, Jenkins made 11 starts and 30 relief appearances for a total of 93.2 innings and a 2.98 ERA.

The Blue Jays have not given an indication as to Floyd’s role in 2016, but his seven big league appearances for the Cleveland Indians last season did come in a multi-inning relief role.