Blue Jays sign Dayan Viciedo to a minor-league deal

By FanSided Staff | Mar 1, 2015

Aug 31, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Dayan Viciedo hits a single against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

The Toronto Blue Jays added Dayan Viciedo to their minor-league roster, which would guarantee him 2.5 million for one year if he makes the team

Dayan Viciedo is being given another chance at playing baseball. If the Cuban slugger were to make the Blue Jays’ roster, he would enter his sixth season in the major leagues after a five year stint with the Chicago White Sox.

Viciedo produced decent numbers early on in his career, batting an average of .254 and adding 61 home runs. Known for his power over anything, Viciedo also comes with a huge downside. He struck out 122 times last year. His patients at the plate is not something the Blue Jays managers are too excited about.

More from MLB

Still, if this decision pans out, it would give the Jays a right-handed outfielder or third baseman who is capable of hitting 25+ home runs. With the loss of Michael Saunders until at least the All-Star break, this move allows for some flexibility on the roster.

Obviously, this is meant to be a filler until Saunders gets back, but also comes with minimal cost. Signing him on for such a small deal provides the Blue Jays with a very low-risk and high upside player.

If he ends up having a successful spring training, then he might give the buffer the Blue Jays need until the All-Star break concludes. If the Blue Jays are still in the hunt at that point, Suanders will be back as the Jays plan for the home stretch as the play off race starts heating up.

If he ends up not producing as much as the Blue Jays expect, they can terminate the contract before the season starts. But even if the deal does go through and he still can’t make the transition back to major league form, that 2.5 million, one-year contract is a small price to pay for Toronto. So this won’t cripple their long-term plan.

They did a similar thing with right-handed veteran pitcher Johan Santana. Signing him to a minor league deal gives Santana a chance to prove he is still ready to pitch at the highest level after sitting out with injuries since 2012. But if he ends up not being able to give the team enough quality starts, his contract is small enough to where it won’t be a burden if they choose to release him.

Both of these acquisitions are smart moves for the Blue Jays. While they did miss the playoffs last year, there is reason to believe that with these additions they could make something happen this year.

After all, if the Jays were to catch some momentum in September last year they very well could have been the wildcard team going into the playoffs instead of the Kansas City Royals. Perhaps the additions of Viciendo and Santana will put them over the edge as the 2015 season rapidly approaches.

More from FanSided