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Mat Latos

Mat Latos Signs With CanAm League’s New Jersey Jackals

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Veteran right-hander Mat Latos has signed a deal with the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Canadian-American Association, the Jackals announced today.

Latos, 30, tossed just 15 innings in the Majors last season, all with the Blue Jays, and notched a 3.81 ERA in an additional 28 innings with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. The former Padres/Reds hurler was a rising star early in his career, pitching to a 3.27 ERA in 799 innings between San Diego and Cincinnati from 2010-13 before injuries began to derail him.

Latos underwent knee surgery in February 2014, and while he returned that summer to toss 102 1/3 innings of 3.25 ERA ball for the Reds, he experienced a rapid decline in the subsequent seasons. An offseason trade to the Marlins was followed by a half season of pedestrian work with the Marlins and a pair of uninspiring stints with both L.A. clubs following the 2015 non-waiver deadline. Latos has had brief stints with the White Sox, Nationals and Jays since that time, but his overall body of work dating back to 2015 is unsightly: a 5.05 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 201 1/3 innings at the big league level.

Blue Jays Reportedly Release Mat Latos

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The Blue Jays have released right-hander Mat Latos from their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo earlier this week, according to Buffalo broadcaster Ben Wagner (Twitter link). The team has yet to formally announce the move.

The 29-year-old Latos inked a minor league deal with Toronto this offseason and has made three starts for the big league club this season, allowing a total of 11 runs on 19 hits and eight walks with 10 strikeouts in 15 innings. Latos has posted a more favorable 3.80 ERA with a 24-to-13 K/BB ratio in 26 innings with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate. While a number of players have opt-out provisions in their contract this time of year, Wagner specified in a second tweet that Latos’ release was a team decision.

It’s been a struggle for Latos over the past two-plus seasons, as he now owns a 5.05 ERA in his past 201 1/3 innings. Injuries, beginning with left knee surgery in 2014, have played a role in his decline, as has the fact that his velocity has dipped from the 93-94 mph range to the 90-91 mph range. Latos, who has spent time with the Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox, Nationals and Jays over the past three years, will now look to join a rather remarkable seventh organization since Opening Day 2015.

Blue Jays Outright Mat Latos

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The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Mat Latos has cleared outright waivers. The veteran righty could have elected free agency following his outright but will instead report to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo tonight, per the Jays.

Latos, still just 29 years of age, made three starts for the Jays after having his contract selected from Buffalo last month. Though he turned in one scoreless six-inning performance, his aggregate work in Toronto left plenty to be desired; Latos ultimately yielded 11 earned runs on 19 hits and eight walks with 10 strikeouts before being designated for assignment last week when the club claimed right-hander Cesar Valdez from the A’s.

Once one of the game’s more reliable young starters, Latos hasn’t turned in an effective season since a 2014 campaign that was shortened by knee surgery. Since that time, Latos has struggled to a 5.05 earned run average in 201 1/3 innings between the Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox, Nationals and Blue Jays.

Given the injuries the Blue Jays have experienced in their rotation this season, it’s feasible that Latos could once again be called upon as a depth option — especially if the Jays aren’t able to turn things around and elect to sell off some more marketable veteran assets at the trade deadline this summer (e.g. Francisco Liriano, Marco Estrada). The Jays are currently 11-20 and sit 10 games out of the division lead in the American League East.

Blue Jays Designate Mat Latos, Claim Cesar Valdez

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The Blue Jays have claimed Cesar Valdez off waivers from the Athletics, the clubs announced. He’ll open his tenure at Triple-A Buffalo on optional assignment. Toronto has designated righty Mat Latos to clear a 40-man spot.

Valdez, 32, made it back to the big leagues with the A’s after a long layoff. While he was hit hard in 9 1/3 frames — his first since way back in 2010 — the veteran evidently showed enough to catch Toronto’s eye. Valdez did make an interesting showing last year at Triple-A with the Astros, spinning 180 innings of 3.25 ERA ball with 7.0 K/9 against just 1.0 BB/9.

He’ll take over the 40-man spot that had been held by Latos, who was also occupying a spot in the MLB rotation. With Neil Ramirez heading onto the active roster after he, too, was claimed, there was a need to open space there as well.

Latos, who’s still just 29 years of age, made three starts for the Jays. But he lasted only 15 innings and gave up 11 earned runs on 19 hits — five of them homers — while compiling ten strikeouts against eight walks. On the positive side, Latos was sitting at 91.9 mph with his fastball, up a tick from last year, and had produced an 11.0% whiff rate in the short sample.

Blue Jays Select Mat Latos, Designate Ty Kelly

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The Blue Jays announced today that infielder Ty Kelly was designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to righty Mat Latos, whose pending call-up was reported recently.

The 28-year-old Kelly was only just acquired from the Mets through a waiver claim. He was optioned to Triple-A upon landing with the Toronto organization, and only got into two games of action before this latest roster move. Of course, he could still end up back at Buffalo if he clears waivers this time around — though Kelly would also have the opportunity to elect free agency instead.

Kelly has minimal experience in the majors, but has shown excellent contact ability and plate discipline in the upper minors. In six campaigns and over 1,500 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, Kelly has compiled a .381 OBP (though he has slugged just .383) by drawing 230 walks against 237 strikeouts. He also brings some versatility to the table, with experience at second, third, and the corner outfield.

Blue Jays Plan To Call Up Mat Latos This Weekend

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The Blue Jays will start right-handers Mat Latos and Casey Lawrence this weekend in place of the injured Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). They’ll face an Angels lineup which, as Sherman notes, is largely right-handed.

Latos isn’t on the 40-man roster, so his addition will require a corresponding 40-man roster move. At present, it doesn’t seem that the Jays have any obvious candidates to be transferred from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL, which could suggest that a DFA is on the horizon in Toronto.

Still just 29 years of age, Latos signed a minor league deal with the Jays after his second straight season of struggles in the Majors. Latos has pitched for five teams in the past two seasons, logging a combined 4.93 ERA in 186 1/3 innings between the Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox and Nationals. He had a rough Spring Training as well (6.75 ERA in 14 2/3 innings) but has been charged with just one earned run through his first nine frames in Buffalo and represents the most experienced depth option the Jays possess.

Lawrence, also 29, logged a 4.17 ERA with 6.0 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 162 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He made his Major League debut with Toronto earlier this year but allowed three runs on three hits and five walks (two intentional) with two strikeouts in two innings against the Rays.

The Blue Jays, clearly, will hope the need for Latos and Lawrence to be brief. To that end, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported last night that the team received positive news on both Happ and Sanchez yesterday. An MRI on Happ’s problematic left elbow didn’t show any structural damage. Sanchez, meanwhile, underwent a procedure to have roughly a quarter of the nail removed from his ailing finger, per Davidi, which could allow him to return to the rotation in short order. (Davidi notes that down the line, a chemical treatment to prevent the nail from growing back is an option.) Per Davidi, it’s possible that both pitchers could miss only the upcoming starts this weekend.

Blue Jays Tell Mat Latos He Won’t Make Team

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Blue Jays righty Mat Latos has been told he won’t make the team, and Latos must now decide whether to accept a Triple-A assignment from the club or become a free agent, according to Jays radio broadcaster Mike Wilner (Twitter links). In addition, another Jays righty, Bo Schultz, is seeing a physician in New York and is likely to require elbow surgery.

The Jays signed Latos to a minor-league deal near the beginning of camp, and he struggled in 14 2/3 innings with the club, allowing eight walks and five home runs. The former Padres and Reds standout is still only 29 but has fallen on hard times in recent seasons, posting a 4.89 ERA and a mediocre 5.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 over 70 innings with the White Sox and Nationals last year, also struggling with his velocity. He seemed highly unlikely to crack the Jays’ rotation (which currently consists of Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman and Francisco Liriano) without an injury or two.

The 31-year-old Schultz bounced back and forth between Toronto and Triple-A Buffalo last season, posting a 5.51 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 16 1/3 innings at the big-league level. He was competing for a spot in the Blue Jays’ bullpen. He is out of options, although, of course, if he’s facing elbow surgery, both he and the Blue Jays will have greater concerns for his future than his immediate roster status.

AL Notes: Brantley, Jackson, Latos, Jays

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Hopes are riding high for the Indians, but the health of Michael Brantley remains a major wild card for the organization. Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports on where things stand as camp opens. As was the case last year, Cleveland intends to proceed cautiously as Brantley ramps up from shoulder surgery. This time, though, there’ll be even more caution given the setbacks he experienced in 2016. Swinging the bat in game conditions seems to have caused Brantley’s problems last time around, Hoynes explains, so the team is taking the long view in helping the injured star to find a way to compete without aggravating his damaged joint.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • The Rangers watched veteran righty Edwin Jackson throw yesterday but decided against offering him a contract, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. Jackson, 33, struggled in stints last year with the Marlins and Padres, working to a cumulative 5.89 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 over 84 innings. He exhibited a notable velocity drop, delivering a career-low 91.7 mph average fastball, though he did still manage a 9.4% swinging-strike rate that landed in range of his career norms.
  • The Blue Jays also showed some interest, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter), but appear to have moved on after adding Mat Latos. As Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi further reports, Latos says he’s “willing to do whatever I need to do,” expressing a willingness to work from the rotation, out of the pen, or even at Triple-A. “I’ve got a lot of earning I need to do,” he said, “and I need to earn everything as it comes.” GM Ross Atkins, meanwhile, says he’s “excited” to bring Latos into camp, noting that the organization is hopeful he’ll earn a MLB job and wasn’t motivated to try to stash him in the minors.
  • Indeed, the Blue Jays now seem largely set with their roster more generally, as Atkins further told Davidi. Per the general manager, the organization is still looking into trade opportunities, but sees additional signings as “unlikely.” Toronto also doesn’t appear inclined to further bolster its rotation mix, with Atkins calling it “a tough sell” to add a starter given the team’s existing stock.

Blue Jays Sign Mat Latos To Minor League Deal

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12:15pm: Latos’ deal comes with a $1.5MM base salary if he makes the Major League roster, and he can earn up to $500K worth of incentives based on a mix of starting- and relief-based milestones, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (Twitter link).

11:15am: The Blue Jays announced that they have indeed signed Latos. He receives a minor league contract with an invite to Major League camp this spring.

10:00am: The Blue Jays have agreed to a deal with right-hander Mat Latos, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (via Twitter). Nicholson-Smith reported yesterday that the two sides were in negotiations. Latos is represented by the Bledsoe Agency.

Latos, still just 29 years of age, will add some depth for both the rotation and the bullpen in Toronto. The Jays figure to have Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano in their starting five this coming season, but Estrada dealt with a herniated disk in his back in 2016 while Liriano had an up-and-down season between Toronto and Pittsburgh. Latos, coming off a down season himself, at the least provides an experienced arm should one of those five struggle or sustain an injury.

Latos opened the 2016 season with the White Sox and got off to a strong start, logging a stellar 0.74 ERA through his first 24 1/3 innings with the South Siders. That excellent mark was buoyed by a .167 BABIP, though, and the 13-to-7 K/BB ratio that Latos logged in those four starts also served as a bad omen. Over the next six weeks or so, Latos posted a 7.25 ERA with 18 walks against 19 strikeouts before being released in mid-June. He’d later hook on with the Nationals and toss 9 2/3 innings, during which he yielded seven runs on 11 hits and five walks with 10 strikeouts.

The past couple of seasons have been a struggle for Latos, and it’s possible that the root of his problems can be traced back to Spring Training knee surgery three years ago with the Reds. While Latos returned from that operation to enjoy solid bottom-line results in 2014 (3.25 ERA in 102 1/3 innings), his velocity was down about two miles per hour following the surgery. In the two seasons since that time, he’s never fully recovered the life on his fastball, and despite a solid 15-start stretch in the middle of the 2015 campaign, he’s logged a collective 4.93 ERA in 186 1/3 innings across the past two big league seasons.

Prior to the 2015 season, however, Latos was among the game’s most consistently excellent young arms. From 2010-14, he posted a 3.50 ERA or better each season with the Padres and Reds, averaging 8.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

Latos could also provide a bullpen option for the Blue Jays, whose primary right-handed options at this time are closer Roberto Osuna and setup men Jason Grilli, Joe Biagini and Joe Smith. While the majority of Latos’ career has been spent as a starter, he’s made relief appearances in each of the past two seasons. He could conceivably look to earn a spot as a multi-inning reliever in the ’pen or hope that switching to shorter, one-inning stints could help him to regain some of the lost zip on his fastball.

Blue Jays In Talks With Mat Latos

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The Blue Jays are “far along” in contract talks with free-agent righty Mat Latos, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Nicholson-Smith notes that there’s no guarantee that the Jays will finalize a deal with the Bledsoe Agency client, but they’ve been in touch with Latos’ representatives multiple times over the past couple of weeks.

The 29-year-old Latos opened the 2016 season with the White Sox and got off to a strong start, logging a stellar 0.74 ERA through his first 24 1/3 innings with the South Siders. That excellent mark was buoyed by a .167 BABIP, though, and the 13-to-7 K/BB ratio that Latos logged in those four starts also served as a bad omen. Over the next six weeks or so, Latos posted a 7.25 ERA with 18 walks against 19 strikeouts before being released in mid-June. He’d later hook on with the Nationals and toss 9 2/3 innings, during which he yielded seven runs on 11 hits and five walks with 10 strikeouts.

Latos now sports an unsightly 4.93 ERA in 186 1/3 innings across the past two big league seasons, and he’s seen his average fastball velocity dip from 92.6 mph to 90.2 mph in the wake of knee 2014 knee surgery. However, he did enjoy a nice run of 15 starts in the middle of the 2015 season, and prior to that campaign, he was an excellent young arm for the Padres and Reds. Latos posted an ERA better than 3.50 each season from 2010-14, averaging 8.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in that time while making a smooth transition from the pitcher-friendly Petco Park to the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. Certainly the diminished velocity and poor results in late 2015 and in 2016 are red flags, but Latos would be more of a depth option for Toronto than an expected contributor.

The Blue Jays are set in the rotation with Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ, Marcus Stroman, Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano. The bullpen picture is a bit murkier even after the signings of veteran free agents J.P. Howell and Joe Smith. That duo will join closer Roberto Osuna, setup man Jason Grilli and sophomore Joe Biagini. Latos could conceivably fight for a spot alongside that quintet or head to Triple-A to open the season — assuming a minor league deal is the ultimate outcome — where he’d look to get back on track and await an opportunity at the Major League level.

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