Blue Jays sign Gavin Floyd to 1-year, $1 million deal

The Blue Jays and free-agent right-hander Gavin Floyd have agreed to a deal, as first reported by our own Chris Cotillo. MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports that Floyd's deal is a 1-year, major-league deal that will guarantee him $1 million.

Source: Blue Jays in agreement with Gavin Floyd, pending physical. @JonHeyman mentioned first.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 5, 2016

gavin Floyd deal with jays is MLB deal for $1M, plus $1M in incentives based on days on active roster

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 6, 2016

Ultimately, Floyd will be joining a team in need of some pitching help. The Blue Jays, who have Marcus Stroman, Marco Estrada, R.A. Dickey, J.A. Happ, Jesse Chavez, Drew Hutchison, and Aaron Sanchez all presumably competing for starting spots, have an abundance of options but not necessarily great ones.

With Floyd and even possibly Roberto Osuna getting stretched out for starting duty, that's nine potential options for Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons to use as a starter. That's good depth for a team that has seemed to opt for as many potential options as possible instead of chasing David Price.

Floyd only tossed 13.1 innings last year for the Cleveland Indians and worked out of the bullpen for all of it. Being in the Cleveland bullpen is likely where the connection to newly-appointed Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro comes from. Floyd's best years were spent as a member of the Chicago White Sox during which he pitched two four-win seasons. Floyd's home run per flyball rate seems to be a bit of an enigma, and moving to the Rogers Centre could only compound those issues.

Shapiro has gone on record saying not only has the Triple-A system been depleted due to the 2015 postseason run, but that it takes at least "seven or eight starting pitchers to get through a major league baseball season" and adding the caveat "if you're fortunate." With pitching depth the team's main concern, it appears the Blue Jays are trying to address that need.