Toronto Blue Jays sign Gosuke Katoh to Minor League Deal
![PEORIA, AZ - MARCH 7: Gosuke Katoh #75 of the San Diego Padres bats during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Peoria Stadium on March 7, 2021 in Peoria, Arizona. The Royals defeated the Padres 4-3. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fjaysjournal-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2018-2F08-2F1308486470-850x560-93e0de135e68fee6e6fdd9ab5fe1b19f.jpg)
The Toronto Blue Jays offseason has almost come to a screeching halt since the Collective Bargaining Agreement expired at the beginning of December 2021. While Major League deals are off the table until a new CBA is in place, earlier today the club announced they had signed versatile infielder Gosuke Katoh to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
The California-born Katoh was a second-round pick of the New York Yankees back in 2013 and has yet to play in a major league game but does possess eight years of experience in the minor leagues, mostly in the Yankees farm system.
After spending the 2020 COVID season at the Miami Marlins Alternate Training Site, he signed a minor-league deal with the San Diego Padres for the 2021 campaign. Katoh played in 114 games with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas where he posted a slash line of .306/.388/.474 with 39 extra-base hits. Katoh brings versatility to the organization as he can play any of the infield positions and even started 17 games in the outfield last season.
The Toronto Blue Jays made some news earlier today by officially signing infielder Gosuke Katoh to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
If fans are looking for an underdog story in 2022, Katoh could be that player to cheer for, as he has already endeared himself to fans with a Twitter post he made after the signing. Make sure you turn on the sound for the link below.
Quick clip from my press conference this morning at the Rogers Centre. (Haters will say it’s photoshopped) https://t.co/VayJWIzKcC pic.twitter.com/SuaErZiJsq
— Gosuke Katoh (加藤豪将) (@GosukeKatoh) January 4, 2022
Katoh likely won’t break camp with the Blue Jays, but he could be an early-season call-up if the club runs into some injury trouble and need a bench player or somebody to play multiple infield positions.
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Are you a fan of Katoh yet?