Blue Jays sign Corbin to 1-year deal

The Toronto Blue Jays signed veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin to a one-year, $1-million contract Friday.

Corbin was immediately optioned to Single-A Dunedin.

The 36-year-old spent last season with the Texas Rangers. He put up a 4.40 ERA, 4.25 FIP, and 1.36 WHIP along with 131 strikeouts and one complete game over 31 appearances (30 starts). Those statistics were a marked improvement from those recorded in his previous four seasons with the Washington Nationals, as he was consistently among the worst pitchers in baseball.

Despite his struggles, Corbin brings plenty of pedigree to Toronto as a two-time All-Star and a key member of the Nationals' World Series-winning staff in 2019. He's also a workhorse, averaging over 157 innings a season during his 13-year career. Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, he's made at least 30 starts every year since 2017.

Once he's built up, Corbin will provide some much-needed depth for a Blue Jays rotation that's been hit hard by injuries of late. José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage all started their seasons on the injured list with either elbow or shoulder injuries, while Bowden Francis underwent Tommy John surgery in February.

Toronto's need for pitching depth became even more urgent after Cody Ponce sprained his ACL on Monday, an injury that's put his season in jeopardy.

In addition to Corbin joining their battered rotation at some point, the Blue Jays may also get Yesavage back soon. The rookie, who's been battling a shoulder impingement, is beginning a rehab assignment at Dunedin on Friday, manager John Schneider told Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. The skipper didn't offer a potential timeline for when Yesavage might make his season debut.

Reliever Mason Fluharty will make his first career start - presumably as an opener - Saturday against the White Sox, per Sportsnet's Hazel Mae. That will give Eric Lauer, who's dealing with an illness, an extra day of rest before starting Sunday's series finale at Rate Field.