Blue Jays sign southpaw Grif Hughes to a minor league deal

The Toronto Blue Jays have added a minor league arm into the mix, signing left-hander Grif Hughes to an MiLB deal according to the minor league transactions tracker. The 23-year-old will report to the FCL Blue Jays to begin his Jays career.

Hughes spent his whole collegiate career at Carson-Newman University, located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. With the Eagles, he crafted a 5.48 ERA through 63 games, making 11 starts during his time. Across 120 innings, the southpaw crafted a 1.400 WHIP while striking out batters at an 11.0 K/9 clip. His senior campaign was his strongest, where he struck out 71 batters through 58 1/3 innings while posting a 3.86 ERA across 20 outings (five starts).

Following graduation, Hughes took his talents to independent ball, signing with the Evansville Otters in the Frontier League. He would make 36 appearences for the Otters out of their bullpen, allowing just 15 earned runs through 44 innings of work to the tune of a 3.07 ERA and a 1.136 WHIP. He also posted a 6.8 H/9 and a 12.5 K/9 in his first year of independent ball.