The Toronto Blue Jays have officially secured Mike Mayers on a minor league contract and have extended him an invitation to join the major league Spring Training. Mayers, aged 32, has encountered a challenging stretch in the past few seasons. Last year, he inked a minor league agreement with the Kansas City Royals and was elevated to the major league squad to fulfill a versatile role. However, his performance fell short, evidenced by a high earned run average (ERA) of 6.15 across six appearances covering 26 1/3 innings.
Although his walk rate stood at a decent 8.4%, his strikeout rate lagged well below average at 14.3%. Subsequently, he was removed from the roster in June and later traded to the Chicago White Sox, where he continued to struggle in the Triple-A affiliates of both teams, concluding with a combined 6.12 ERA at that level.
In the prior season with the Los Angeles Angels, he pitched 50 2/3 innings, registering a 5.68 ERA. While his strikeout rate improved to 20.2% during that season, a concerning 20.8% of fly balls he allowed resulted in home runs, nearly double his 12.1% rate from 2023.
The Blue Jays are likely banking on a resurgence from Mayers back to his performance levels of 2020 and 2021. During those two seasons with the Angels, he appeared in 101 games, totaling 105 innings and maintaining a solid 3.34 ERA. He significantly struck out 30.5% of his opponents while exhibiting excellent control with an 8% walk rate. Progressing through the bullpen hierarchy for the Angels during that period, he garnered four saves and 22 holds.
According to Statcast data, his velocity declined as his effectiveness waned. His fastball velocity, which exceeded 94 miles per hour in 2020 and 2021, decreased to 93.5 mph in 2022 and further to 92.9 mph last season. Additionally, his secondary pitches like the slider, cutter, and changeup experienced slight velocity reductions over the past two years, while his curveball showed a temporary uptick in 2022 before declining in 2023.
Recently, Mayers has been seen training with Driveline Baseball, as demonstrated in footage shared by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. It appears that the Blue Jays were intrigued by his recent progress, prompting his inclusion in their Spring Training.
This decision may have been influenced in part by the injury concerns of Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson on their roster. Romano is battling right elbow inflammation, while Swanson is managing forearm tightness. Both players underwent MRIs, which thankfully did not reveal any structural damage, but caution is being exercised with their pitching arms for the time being.
In the event that either or both pitchers are sidelined, the Blue Jays will need to rely on their depth. Mayers will now have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot and, if successful, would be ineligible for minor league assignment due to being out of options. However, with just under five years of service time, the Blue Jays could potentially retain him for the 2025 season through arbitration if he secures a roster spot and performs well this season.
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