Blue Jays sign Mat Latos to minor-league deal

The Blue Jays are closing in on a minor-league deal with righty Mat Latos, a source confirmed to SB Nation on Thursday. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith was first on the report.

Latos will serve as rotation depth for the Jays, joining fellow free-agent signees Lucas Harrell, Gavin Floyd, Brett Oberholtzer and T.J. House behind a rotation group that is slated to include Marco Estrada, Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ and Francisco Liriano. Latos is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Buffalo.

Latos, 29, split last season between the White Sox and Nationals, posting an overall 4.89 ERA in 70 major-league innings. The Jays are his seventh organization since 2014, joining the Reds, Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox and Nats.

Latos was a front-end option for Cincinnati in 2013 and 2014, posting back-to-back seasons of sub-3.25 ERAs before being traded to Miami. He has struggled mightily in the two years since, being traded twice, released twice and signed on four occasions.

Latos owns a career 71-58 record, 3.60 ERA and 7.9 K/9 in eight major-league seasons with seven clubs.