Jays Sign Townsend & Catch Last Train To Clarksville

Baseball America reports that former Orioles and Rays first round pick Wade "Pete" Townsend has agreed to a minor league contract with Toronto and so has organizational soldier Howie Clark.   Wade Townsend, flanked by Jeff Niemann to his left and Phillip Humber to his right.Townsend, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound righty from Rice, was taken by Baltimore with the eighth pick in the 2004 amateur draft but did not sign a deal.  Due to the fact he had an agent represent him, he could not go back to Rice.  However, he was taken eighth overall in 2005 by Tampa Bay.  Townsend has been ineffective in the minors with a lifetime record of 7-21 with a 5.58 ERA.  His career WHIP is 1.547 and his walks per nine innings is 5.8.Townsend missed the 2006 campaign with Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and shoulder problems caused him to miss part of 2008 and most of 2009.  The highest level he reached was Double-A Montgomery in 2008 b...