Langerhans and Ortiz Get Minor League Deals

April 12, 2011, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Ryan Langerhans (left) is tagged out at the plate by Toronto Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia (9) after tagging on a popout during the eighth inning at Safeco Field. Seattle defeated Toronto, 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY SportsOne would have to assume that at some point, the Blue Jays front office is going to take a moment and relax, kicking back for a minute and marveling at what they have already gotten done this winter.

However, now is not yet that time and Toronto has no intention of resting on its laurels for the remainder of the offseason. Tuesday, the team continued in its plans to not only stock up the major league pantry, but to also keep the cupboards full of healthy alternatives. The team inked major league veterans Ryan Langerhans and Ramon Ortiz to minor league contracts, complete with invitations to Major League camp in the spring.

Langerhans is a 10-year veteran outfielder who has spent time with Atlanta, Oakland, Washington, Seattle, and the Los Angeles Angels. The 32-year-old, left-handed hitter has experience in all three outfield spots and at first base, primarily as a utility player. Over the course of 593 games in the majors, Langerhans is a career .226 hitter with 33 home runs and 125 RBI. He spent all but 2 games of 2012 in Salt Lake City in the Angels system where he hit .250 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI.

Ramon Ortiz is the elder statesman of minor league signees, slated to turn 40-years-old on March 23rd. A veteran of 11 seasons, Ortiz has spent most of his career as a starter, accumulating a record of 86-84 with a 4.93 ERA and a 5.6 K/9 ratio for his career. His two best seasons came with the Angels in 2002 and 2003 when he won a 15 and 16 games respectively. He has also spent time pitching for Cincinnati, Washington, Minnesota, Colorado, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Ortiz spent all of 2012 pitching in the Yankees system for triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where in 27 stasts he posted a 13-6 record with a 3.45 ERA and 104 strike-outs. He’ll camp out in Buffalo awaiting one last shot at the big leagues.