Blue Jays sign RHP Gabe Klobosits to a minor league contract

According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed right-handed pitcher Gabe Klobosits to a minor league contract. The 6-foot-8 hurler will report directly to Triple-A and join the Buffalo Bisons.

Klobosits, 28, has a bit of major league experience under his belt dating back to 2021 when he made 11 appearances out of the Washington Nationals' bullpen. In that time, he posted a 5.56 ERA, 3.88 FIP and 75 ERA+ across 11.1 innings of work. He spent his time in the minor leagues with the Oakland Athletics, where his numbers did not favor his performance. In 11 outings, he managed just a 7.59 ERA before being designated for assignment and later released in June.

The Texas native has most recently been pitching for the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Per Feinsand, Klobosits had been routinely hitting 98mph on his fastball, which matches the mold of pitchers the Blue Jays have been targeting lately, especially after swinging a trade for Génesis Cabrera.

Klobosits only made eight appearances for Gastonia before earning the attention of the Blue Jays. Alongside the encouraging velocity, he allowed just one run in eight innings of work, earning a save along the way.

Now, Klobosits is certainly not going to be atop the list of potential callups as the year rolls on. He is going to be behind players like Bowden Francis and Zach Pop on the organizational depth chart, but could conceivably put together a strong showing in Buffalo to warrant some big league consideration. The Blue Jays have mixed and matched big league veterans in the high minors this year (Drew Hutchison and Casey Lawrence in particular) who haven't worked out and have since moved on to other organizations, so it will be interesting to see how Klobosits slots into the picture.