The Toronto Blue Jays have brought back a player they traded away at the 2023 trade deadline.
According to KRPC2’s Ari Alexander, the Blue Jays have signed right-handed pitcher Adam Kloffenstein to a minor-league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
Originally drafted by Toronto in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Kloffenstein received a reported $2.45 million signing bonus. After pitching just two innings in 2018, he made his full-season debut in 2019, posting a 2.24 ERA and 3.73 FIP over 64 innings. However, he struggled in 2021 with High-A Vancouver, recording a 6.22 ERA and 5.16 FIP across 101.1 innings.
In 2022, Kloffenstein started strong in High-A with a 3.81 ERA and 4.74 FIP but struggled in Double-A, where he put up a 6.07 ERA and 5.07 FIP over 86 innings. He showed significant improvement in 2023, delivering a 3.24 ERA and 3.47 FIP in 89 Double-A innings, his best performance to date.
That season, Toronto traded Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse to the St. Louis Cardinals for Jordan Hicks. Around the same time, the Blue Jays also acquired Paul DeJong and Génesis Cabrera in separate trades. After the trade, Kloffenstein was assigned to Triple-A by St. Louis, where he posted a 3.00 ERA and 5.78 FIP over 39 innings.
The Cardinals added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2024, pitching one inning without allowing an earned run. In Triple-A that year, he logged 89.1 innings with a 4.74 ERA and 5.51 FIP.
Ultimately, the Cardinals chose to non-tender Kloffenstein, making him a free agent. Now back with Toronto, the move appears to be a win for the Blue Jays.
It will be interesting to see how the 24-year-old performs in Spring Training. If he impresses, he could earn a chance to pitch in the majors later in the season. At the very least, he provides valuable starting depth.
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