Blue Jays sign Adam Loewen to minor-league deal

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed pitcher turned outfielder Adam Loewen to a minor-league deal, reports Jamie Campbell of Sportsnet:

#Jays have signed Adam Loewen to a minor league deal. No invite to big league camp. @sportsnet @shidavidi

— Jamie Campbell (@SportsnetJamie) January 12, 2013

Though Campbell explicitly states that Loewen will not be invited to spring training, his Sportsnet coworker Shi Davidi believes there is a chance that the lefty outfielder will receive an invitation.

Loewen, 28, was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as a pitcher with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2002 draft. The southpaw had success out of the gate and made his debut with the big-league club in 2006. Loewen pitched 112⅓ innings for the O's that year, posting a not great 5.37 ERA but still demonstrating his potential.

The lefty started the 2007 campaign in Baltimore's starting rotation but quickly hit the DL with an elbow injury that would eventually end his career as a pitcher. Loewen appeared in just 13 games for the Orioles in 2007-2008 before deciding to hang up the towel and convert to a position player.

Loewen has had pretty good success since his conversion, hitting .262/.354/.429 with 42 home runs across three minor-league levels in his four seasons as a position player. The British Columbia native even made it back to the big leagues with the Blue Jays for a short stint in 2011, hitting .188/.297/.313 with a home run in 14 games.