Toronto Blue Jays Purchase Tony Davis from the Quebec Capitales

This isn’t the blockbuster deal you have become used to from the Toronto Blue Jays, but it’s one that could have a serious impact down the road. 

Specialists out of the bullpen are not very highly regarded by the press or the fans, but to a team in contention, they are as valuable as anyone in the clubhouse. 

According to the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Tony Davis, a left-handed reliever with the Quebec Capitales of the Independent Can-Am League.

Davis has spent four years in professional baseball, the majority of that with the Minnesota Twins organization. During that time, he made it as high as AA and put up some impressive numbers along the way. 

In 112 games, Davis' career ERA stands at 3.58 in 161 innings, with 139 strikeouts and 11 wins to go with seven losses. He does appear to have some control problems, giving up 5.1 walks per/nine innings, but his time in Quebec saw that number nearly cut in half to 3.1 per/nine innings.

Even when pitching in the Independent Leagues, when you put up numbers like a 1.06 ERA in 20 games and strike out 16 in 17 innings, someone is bound to take notice.

At 24, Davis still has many years left to become that LOOGY that every team needs, and a 2.51 ERA in 44 appearances with the Twins' AA teams proves it. 

The Indy Leagues are becoming a serious resource for MLB teams, as evidenced by recent signings like Kyle Mertins.

Let this be a reminder to those still living the dream: A release or a demotion isn’t the worst thing in the world. Indy ball could be that new beginning you are looking for. Davis and Mertins are prime examples of that. 

Devon is a manager at a financial institution in Northern Ontario, Canada, and he can be reached at [e-mail]. You can follow the GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.