The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms with the following free agents on Minor League contracts with invites to the 2025 Major League Spring Training:
Christian Bethancourt, Catcher
Bethancourt, 33, played for both the Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs during the 2024 season, appearing in 62 games and batting .209 with seven doubles, five home runs, and 22 RBIs. He also threw out 12 runners attempting to steal. Originally signed as an international free agent by the Atlanta Braves in 2008, the Panama City native made his MLB debut in 2013. Over his career, spanning 428 games with the Braves, Padres, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, and Cubs, Bethancourt has a batting average of .229, with 60 doubles, 35 home runs, and 135 RBIs, and has caught 58 runners stealing.
Richard Lovelady, Left-handed Pitcher
Lovelady, 29, made 35 appearances in the 2024 season with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. In his 28 games with the Rays, he posted a 3.77 ERA, a 7.6% walk rate, a 16.8% strikeout rate, and a 54.5% groundball rate. The Hinesville, GA native was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 10th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Kennesaw State University and made his MLB debut with the Royals in 2019. In his MLB career, Lovelady has appeared in 108 games with the Royals, Athletics, Cubs, and Rays, compiling a 4.98 ERA over 99.1 innings with a 51.7% groundball rate.
These additions to the Blue Jays roster bring a blend of experience and skill to the team’s 2025 Spring Training.
