Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jason Grilli celebrates the last out of the eighth inning against the New York Yankees during MLB baseball action in Toronto on September 24, 2016. Relief pitcher Jason Grilli had his US$3 million team option for the 2017 season picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday morning. The 39-year-old Grilli was traded to Toronto on May 31 from the Atlanta Braves. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch
November 05, 2016 - 8:44 AM
TORONTO - Relief pitcher Jason Grilli had his US$3 million team option for the 2017 season picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday morning.
The 39-year-old Grilli was traded to Toronto on May 31 from the Atlanta Braves.
He pitched 42 innings for the Blue Jays, striking out 58 with a 3.64 earned-run average, serving as a capable setup man for closer Roberto Osuna and earning two saves himself.
Grilli threw a total of 59 innings in 2016, with 81 strikeouts and a 4.12 ERA.
General manager Ross Atkins had described exercising Grilli's option "as near to a no-brainer to pick up as you can get" during the team's end-of-season press conference last month.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016