TORONTO -- The Blue Jays made their first Major League free-agent addition of the offseason by signing right-hander Matthew Shoemaker to a one-year deal.
Toronto officially announced the signing, which was first reported by Yahoo Sports and has since been confirmed by MLB.com, on Friday afternoon. The deal is for $3.5 million.
Shoemaker secured a guaranteed contract despite having made just 21 starts combined over the past two seasons because of injuries. His last productive season was in 2016, when he went 9-13 while striking out 143 over 160 innings and posting a 3.88 ERA.
The Michigan native figures to join Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Ryan Borucki in the starting rotation. The fifth starter's job remains up for grabs, and it could be filled through free agency or via an internal competition among Sean Reid-Foley, Thomas Pannone, Sam Gaviglio and others.
The signing will put the Blue Jays at maximum capacity on their 40-man roster. Toronto will have to make another move or two before the end of the offseason, which leaves outfielder Dalton Pompey and right-hander Oliver Drake at the risk of being cut loose.
Shoemaker missed the majority of the past two seasons because of a right forearm extensor strain. He returned in September and allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his six appearances, but he did not exceed five innings. He averages approximately 92 mph on his sinker, according to Statcast™, while also offering a split-finger fastball, curveball and slider.