Toronto Blue Jays: Will Jamie Moyer Pitch at Big League Level?

Earlier today Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reported that the Toronto Blue Jays have inked 49-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer to a minor league deal. 

That the Jays are actively pursuing and acquiring pitching depth comes as a surprise to no one given the rash of injuries plaguing the team's starting rotation. Brandon Morrow, Drew Hutchison and Kyle Drabek already populate the disabled list, and may soon be joined Henderson Alvarez, who exited Monday night's game in Boston with arm soreness.

After beginning the season in Colorado where he became the oldest pitcher in MLB history to record a win, Moyer was released and then picked up by the Baltimore Orioles organization with whom he made three Triple-A starts. 

Moyer's 2012 major league line is less than stellar (2-5, 5.70 ERA), though he was able to maintain a sub-2.00 ERA with the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate.

Despite the positive impression made with the Orioles, Moyer's route back to the MLB was never very clear and he was granted the opportunity to look elsewhere.

The 25-year-veteran will hope to replicate that recent success as he heads to Las Vegas to join the 51s.

The deal is a curious one given the team's handling of Vladimir Guerrero, combined with reports from Shi Davidi that the organization has made no promises to Moyer in terms of his road back to the big league.

On the other hand, the partnership seems to be mutually beneficial at this point. In Moyer, the Jays get an established veteran with a wealth of major league experience. They also get a rotation piece with proven durability.

In the Jays, Moyer finds an organization ready to promote a pitcher (or two...or three) to their big league roster in the immediate future.

Given the current situation the Jays find themselves in, it seems more than likely that Moyer will indeed crack the rotation before long. However, if it takes more than two weeks it means it probably will never happen, so the question should be answered one way or another before long.

A major factor in the equation is the health of Henderson Alvarez. If the youngster needs to visit the DL, it is almost certain that Moyer will don a Blue Jays uniform.

If Alvarez is good to go for his next start, Moyer may need to move on down the line and hook up with a new organization for the fourth time in 2012.