Blue Jays Sign Christian Bethancourt, Richard Lovelady To Minor League Deals

The Blue Jays announced Wednesday that they have signed the player Christian Bethancourt and the left hand Richard Lovelady on minor league contracts. Both players were invited to major league camp during spring training.

Bethancourt, 33, had an impressive game at the plate most recently in 2022, hitting .252/.283/.409 (99 wRC+) with 11 homers in 101 games between the A’s and Rays. His bat has declined since then, with a combined .220/.250/.377 between Tampa Bay, Miami and Chicago (Cubs).

Once one of the game’s top 100 prospects, Bethancourt has never found his footing as a regular major leaguer. He moved away from catching completely at one point, trying to reinvent himself as a reliever, but has now spent several years behind the plate. He is a lifetime .229/.259/.367 hitter in the majors.

While that offense (or lack thereof) leaves a lot to be desired, Bethancourt managed the run game very well thanks to a rocket arm that scored 80 (on a 20-80 scale) during his prime. With his steal rate down to just 20.3% league-wide following changes to the size of the bases and limits on pick attempts, Bethancourt has been very successful. He failed 30% of the steal attempts on him last year. As of 2022, Bethancourt boasts a 29.9% steal rate. In the last four seasons, only JT Realmuto, Patrick Bailey again Gabriel Moreno contributed more value to their throws, among anglers, per Statcast.

Bethancourt won’t face the starting job in Toronto. That’s for you Alejandro Kirk. But the only other Jays catcher on the 40-man roster right now is a journeyman Tyler Heinemanwith a .212/.298/.273 slash in 299 career plate appearances in the majors. Bethancourt could be in that spot, though time will tell if the Jays will bring in a more solid veteran to solidify that important role. As it stands, Kirk’s injury will leave Toronto with Heineman and one of Bethancourt or another undrafted invitee. Ali Sanchez as manager John Schneider’s top options behind the plate.

Lovelady, 29, split the 2024 season between the Cubs and Rays, struggling with the former but playing well with the latter. The southpaw pitched Tampa Bay in 28 2/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball, though the strikeout rate was less than 16.8%. Lovelady’s 7.6% walk rate and 53.5% ground ball rate were both solid marks, however, and the lefty has long shown an interesting combination of missed bats and grounders along with strong command.

Despite having a decent showing in Tampa Bay, Lovelady was cut in November. The Rays designated him for assignment to open a roster spot for outfielders Jake Mangumwho wanted to protect him in the Rule 5 Draft. Lovelady was not tendered rather than traded or waived, making him an immediate free agent.

In 99 1/3 major league innings, Lovelady has a strikeout rate of 21.1%, a walk rate of 8.4% and a slugging rate of 50.9%. He’s still marked by a 4.98 earned run average, thanks in large part to a 66% strikeout rate, but metrics like xFIP (4.27) and SIERA (4.02) are more than ERA. Now he’ll try to move on in Toronto, where the only players left on the 40-man roster are three rookies. Brendon Little, Easton Lucas again Josh Walker. Hope Adam Macko and throws left-handed, but Jay hopes his future lies in the rotation.