Blue Jays History: Toronto signs utterly forgotten Hall of Fame candidate on this date

Before the Toronto Blue Jays won the AL East in 2015, they made some headlines and raised some eyebrows with an unexpected and now, almost forgotten, signing that brought in a Hall of Fame candidate looking to pad his Cooperstown resume.

On Feb. 26 2015, two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana agreed to a minor league contract with the Blue Jays, in the hopes of getting back to the big leagues and adding to his credentials.

Blue Jays History: Toronto signs utterly forgotten Hall of Fame candidate on this date

Santana had not pitched in the big leagues for two years prior to 2015. His last full season was in 2012 when he started 21 games and pitched to a 4.85 ERA in 117 innings with the New York Mets. Santana then tore his shoulder capsule in early 2013 and in 2014 he signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles but in June of that year he tore his Achilles tendon during an extended spring training start. He missed the rest of that season as a result.

So by the time he was healed he was a free agent again and the Blue Jays were willing to take a chance on him. By that point, Santana had compiled a 51.7 bWAR with a 139-78 record, 3.20 ERA, and 1988 strikeouts in 2025.2 innings pitched in 360 games, with 284 of those being games he started. Between 2004 and 2008, Santana pitched over 200 innings each season and struck out 200 batters in those years as well with the Minnesota Twins and Mets.

It probably wouldn't have taken much for Santana to make the Blue Jays at some point had he stayed healthy. The Blue Jays began the season with Drew Hutchison, Daniel Norris, R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Aaron Sanchez making starts. As the season evolved Marco Estrada joined the group out of the bullpen. David Price was acquired at the deadline and Marcus Stroman returned from injury at the end of the year to solidify this group that captured the AL East division and went to the ALCS.

However, players such Félix Doubront, Scott Copeland, and Matthew Boyd all made starting cameos during the summer, and surely Santana could have fit in with that group. But on June 27, Santana announced he was ending his 2015 season due to a toe infection, and that ended his tenure with the Blue Jays.

It's a weird footnote in Blue Jays history to remember that they picked up a guy who was at one time one of the most dominant hurlers in the American League, who then went on to have several really good seasons with the Mets before injuries completely derailed his Hall of Fame trajectory. Santana joined the Twins at Spring Training this year as a special advisor.