Tigers sign RHP Shawn Hill

The Detroit Tigers have signed former Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Shawn Hill to a minor league contract, reports James Schmehl of Mlive.com:

The Detroit Tigers and right-handed starting pitcher Shawn Hill have agreed to a minor league contract.

The Blue Jays removed Hill from its 40-man roster early last month and the right-hander elected to become a free agent rather than accepting a demotion to Triple-A. While Hill isn’t expected to compete for a spot in Detroit’s rotation, he will provide the team starting pitching depth at the upper levels of its farm system, according to Schmehl.

Hill spent the 2012 season with the Blue Jays, appearing in one game at the major league level. He spent most of the year with the club’s Triple-A affiliate, posting an ERA of 4.52 over 15 starts spanning 89 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old also pitched for the York Revolution of the Atlantic League, maintaining an ERA of 2.43 over seven appearances, including five starts.

Hill owns an ERA of 4.69 over 45 appearances, including 44 starts, spanning seven seasons at the major league level.