The Toronto Blue Jays have shuffled through a number of veteran pitchers this season, but one long-time big leaguer saw a remarkably brief stint with the team before he was cut.
And now that player has earned a hometown reunion as he looks to get his career back on track following a harsh tenure with the Blue Jays.
St Louis Cardinals Add Hometown MLB Veteran After Quick Toronto Blue Jays Cut
The Blue Jays’ decision to move on from Josh Fleming earlier this season appeared to be a minor roster transaction at the time. Months later, however, the left-hander has landed in a place that gives his career a particularly interesting twist.
Fleming began the season on a minor league contract with the Blue Jays and earned the briefest of call ups in early April. He tossed three innings of four-run ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 6 and was designated for assignment the next day.
For Fleming, the disappointing stint in Toronto was only a small chapter in a career that has included multiple organizations and more than 250 innings in the majors. Now, he has an opportunity to continue that career with a franchise that has a much more personal connection to his background.
“St. Louis Cardinals are signing Josh Fleming, a lefty, to a minor-league deal and he’s heading to Class AAA Memphis,” Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Wednesday. “He was just with the (Chicago) Cubs in their system, pitched earlier in the majors this summer with the Blue Jays.”
The transaction isn’t just notable because of Fleming’s frequent turnarounds this season, but also because he is returning to his hometown team.
“Fleming is a St. Louis area native who was drafted by the (Tampa Bay) Rays when Cards’ president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom was still in the Tampa Bay front office,” Anthony Franco noted for MLB Trade Rumors. “He was released from a minor league deal with the Cubs this week.”
Former Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Could Provide Useful Insurance For Hometown St Louis Cardinals
Fleming also brings considerable professional experience to the Cardinals’ pitching depth. He has appeared in six major league seasons, primarily working as a swingman during his time with the Rays.
He owns a 4.86 ERA across 257 2/3 major league innings, while his work in Triple-A this season has been considerably stronger, with a 3.16 ERA across 82 2/3 innings.
For now, the reunion gives Fleming another opportunity after his brief Blue Jays tenure ended almost as quickly as it began. More importantly, it brings the St. Louis-area native back into the organization closest to home — with a familiar baseball connection to Bloom adding another layer to the story.