The old and the new

MARK RZEPCZYNSKI
(Better known as Alphabet Soup)

The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with left-handed pitcher Marc Rzepczynski on Monday.
The deal includes an invite to major league spring training.
Rzepczynski, a former Blue Jay, made 45 relief appearances for the triple-A Reno Aces last season while going 2-4 with a 5.04 earned-run average.

The 34-year-old was drafted by Toronto in the fifth round in 2007 and made his major league debut with the Blue Jays in 2009. He spent parts of three seasons in Toronto before being dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011 in the trade that sent outfielder Colby Rasmus to the Blue Jays.
Rzepczynski was 8-11 with a 4.00 ERA during his time in Toronto, which included 23 starts before he was shifted to a bullpen role.

 
Rzepczynski last pitched in the majors in 2018, splitting time with the Seattle Mariners and the Cleveland Indians.
The Illinois native has a 3.89 career ERA and a 1.44 WHIP with 409 strikeouts in 434 2/3 innings pitched over 10 MLB seasons.

Alphabet Soup certainly qualifies as "the Old"

 NATE PEARSON
 

Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Nate Pearson is feeling confident and comfortable in his first big-league spring training.

The makeup of the team around him has helped ease any nerves he may have had coming in.

Pearson, a 23-year-old right-hander ranked No. 8 on MLB’s prospect list, is surrounded by players around his own age at Toronto’s camp in Dunedin, Fla., including many who held upper-level prospect status as recently as last season.

“I’m definitely pretty comfortable,” Pearson said in an interview with The Canadian Press last week. “Seeing Bo [Bichette], Vladdy [Guerrero Jr.], Cavan [Biggio], Jano [Danny Jansen] – that core group – they were just in my shoes a little while ago.

“So having them here, being able to talk to them, that has been useful. And it makes for a really loose atmosphere. You’re not walking on eggshells in a room full of veterans here. It’s been really nice.”

Pearson, who’s known for an impressive fastball velocity, threw live batting practice to some of those same players – including the 20-year-old Guerrero, formerly the top prospect in all of baseball – last week at TD Ballpark.

Pearson will start his first spring training game Tuesday, a split-squad matchup against the New York Yankees at Toronto’s newly renovated home stadium.

Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters last week he was excited to watch Pearson pitch in a live game for the first time.

“I saw his bullpen the other say and I said ... ‘Yup. I want to see this guy,’ " Montoyo said.

“He knows what he’s doing for a young guy,” Montoyo added. “I’m really looking forward to seeing him pitch.”

 Pearson qualifies as the "new".