Blue Jays sign OF Blake Gailen
The Toronto Blue Jays today announced that they have signed OF BLAKE GAILEN to a minor league contract and assigned him to Buffalo.
GAILEN, 28, was playing for the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers of the Independent Atlantic League. In 117 games, the outfielder hit .288 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI. He also led the Atlantic League with 35 doubles and 65 walks, ranked fifth with a .385 on base percentage and fourth with 72 runs scored and 197 total bases.
In 2012, Gailen was not only the Atlantic League MVP, but also Baseball America's Independent League Player of the Year. He won the Atlantic League batting crown with a Lancaster-franchise record .338, swatted 22 homers, stole 25 bases, scored 94 runs and drove in 89.
Gailen's last season in affiliated baseball was 2011 when he played 29 games for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League (Angels affiliate) and hit .208 with two home runs and 13 RBI.