Blue Jays sign southpaw Brian Moran to minor league pact

According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed southpaw reliever Brian Moran to a minor-league pact with an invitation to spring training.

The Blue Jays continue to add low-risk arms to the spring training mix in an attempt to solidify their bullpen for the upcoming campaign. Brian Moran made his MLB debut last season pitching in ten games for the Miami Marlins.

The 31-year tossed 6.1 innings over ten appearances compiling a 4.26 earned run average while fanning ten in his cup of coffee in the majors. Moran was initially drafted in the seventh round of the 2009 amateur draft by the Seattle Mariners out of the University of North Carolina.

The Blue Jays actually selected Morin from the Mariners in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft, however, they promptly sold him to the Los Angeles Angels that same day. The hurler was again selected in the Rule 5 Draft in 2016 by the Orioles plucking him from the Braves.

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Moran has pitched for the Mariners, Braves, Dodgers, Rockies and Marlins organizations over the course of his 10-year professional career. In 344 minor league games, Moran sports a 24-25 record with a respectable 3.15 earned run average and a 10.6 SO/9 rate including 16 career saves.

Last season the lefty soft-tosser made 43 appearances with the Marlins Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League going 2-3 with a 3.15 earned run average while fanning 77 in 60 innings of work prior to his promotion to the majors. In 87 plate appearances last year, lefty hitters hit just .101 off Moran while righties hit .256 off the southpaw.

The hurler also has some baseball bloodlines in his family tree as Moran’s brother Colin is a third baseman for the Pirates while his uncles B.J. Surhoff and Rich Surhoff also played in the majors.

With the injury to Tim Mayza, Moran could find himself competing with Thomas Pannone, Kirby Snead and Travis Bergen for the lefty arm in the bullpen. If he doesn’t travel north with the team at the conclusion of spring training, Moran will wait for the call in Buffalo with the Bisons.