Blue Jays Sign Seven Minor League Free Agents
The other players signed to Minor League deals are pitchers Geremi Gonzalez, Beau Kemp, Blaine Neal, and Brian Wolfe and outfielder Jeff Duncan. Each of the seven players received an invitation to Major League spring training.
Barker, 31, was the SkyChiefs' 2006 recipient of the R. Howard Webster Award recognizing him as the team MVP after hitting .275 with 18 HR, 76 RBI and a modern franchise record (1961-present) 39 doubles. Barker appeared in 12 games for the Blue Jays this season where he hit .235 with one home run.
The 6'3" left-handed hitter also set a modern franchise record for most hits in one game by collecting six at Ottawa on May 17, 2006.
After beginning the 2005 season with Double-A New Hampshire, Barker was promoted to Syracuse in June and went on to set a franchise record for most RBI in a month with 41. He finished the 2005 season with a .305 batting average, 23 HR and 87 RBI in 91 games for the SkyChiefs.
Originally drafted by the Brewers in the third round of the 1996 draft, Barker has combined to hit .245 with six home runs and 33 RBI in 97 career Major League games with the Brewers ('99-'00), Padres ('02) and Blue Jays ('06).
Mottola, 35, has played four seasons in Syracuse and ranks second in franchise history with 114 career doubles and third with 83 home runs. The 6'3" outfielder was named the International League Most Valuable Player in 2000 when he became the first player in Syracuse franchise history to hit 30 or more home runs (33) and collect 30 or more stolen bases (30) in the same season while hitting .309 with 102 RBI.
In 2006, Mottola appeared in 110 games for Syracuse, hitting .265 with 16 HR and 65 RBI and also appeared in 10 games for the Blue Jays, hitting .250 with two doubles.
Originally drafted by the Reds with the fifth overall pick in the 1992 draft, the 15-year professional has hit .200 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 59 Major League games with the Reds ('96), Blue Jays ('00, '06), Marlins ('01), and Orioles ('05).
Gonzalez, 31, appeared in 24 Major League games last season for the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers, going 4-2 with a 5.79 ERA. The 6'0" right-hander also made six starts for Norfolk, the Triple-A affiliate of the Mets, where he was 1-1 with a 3.03 ERA. The native of Venezuela, who was signed as a non-drafted free-agent in 1991, has appeared in 131 Major League games and has compiled a record of 30-35 with a 4.93 ERA for the Cubs ('97-'98), Devil Rays ('03-'04), Red Sox ('05), Mets and Brewers.
Kemp, 26, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 31st round of the 2000 draft and has spent his entire professional career with the Twins. Last season, Kemp appeared in 49 games for Rochester, the Twins Triple-A affiliate, where he went 7-4 with a 2.32 ERA. The 6'0" right-handed reliever has appeared in 337 Minor League games and owns a career record of 30-27 and a 2.70 ERA.
Neal, 28, is a veteran of 113 Major League games, all in relief, for the Marlins ('01-'03), Padres ('04) and Red Sox ('05), compiling a 5-4 record and a 5.08 ERA. Originally drafted by the Marlins in the 4th round of the 1996 draft, the 6'5" right-hander went 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in 29 games for Altoona, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates last season.
Wolfe, 25, posted a 2-7 record and a 5.83 ERA in 29 games combined for last season for Single-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire after being acquired in a trade from Milwaukee for Corey Koskie. The 6'2" right-hander, originally drafted by the Twins in the sixth round of the 1999 draft, has appeared in 203 Minor League games and has a career record of 43-46 with a 4.29 ERA and 11 saves.
Duncan, 27, hit .299 with six home runs, 26 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 89 games for Las Vegas, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, last season. Originally drafted by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the 2000 draft, the left-handed hitting outfielder appeared in 69 games for the Mets ('03-'04) and has a .182 career Major League average with one home run and 11 RBI.