The Toronto Blue Jays won’t be headed to arbitration with two important contributors.
Daulton Varsho agreed to a one-year, $10.75 million contract while utilityman Ernie Clement agreed to a $4.6 million deal, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reported on Thursday.
Varsho, 29, was limited to just 71 games last season due to injury. However, the left-handed hitter still flashed his power, clubbing 20 home runs to go with 55 RBIs and a .238 batting average.
In the post-season, Varsho played all 18 games for the Blue Jays, hitting .227 with three home runs and 10 RBIs.
The Marshfield, Wisc., native’s value is mostly derived from his glove, with which he consistently flashed the leather in centre field. He ranked 29th in MLB in outs above average last season despite his limited playing time.
Meanwhile, Clement set an MLB record with 30 hits in the playoffs, and slashed .411/.416/.562 in the post-season. In the regular season, he hit .277/.313/.398 with nine home runs and 50 RBIs.
Clement’s role with the Blue Jays was up in the air this week after the team agreed to a four-year deal with Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto. Okamoto is expected to begin the season at third base, meaning Clement could move to second base or shortstop as the Blue Jays continue to round out their roster.
Thursday marks the deadline for teams to come to settlement agreements with arbitration-eligible players.
The Blue Jays also reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with catcher Tyler Heineman earlier in the day. Right-hander Eric Lauer is their last remaining unsigned player.
