The Blue Jays have invited 35-year old righty swinging catcher Raul Chavez to spring training to battle Curtis Thigpen for the right to back up Rod Barajas. Chavez played in 42 games for the Pirates last year and he was 30 for 116 (.259 avg, .606 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 1 homer and 10 RBIs. He has now played in 212 games in his major league career in which he is 116 for 521 (.223 avg, .552 OPS) with 38 runs scored, 5 homers and 50 RBIs.

The Blue Jays have signed 34-year old righty starting pitcher Matt Clement to a minor league deal. He pitched in 15 games (3 starts) last season in A + AA + AAA ball and he was 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Clement last pitched in the majors in 2006 with the Red Sox. He has pitched in 238 games (236 starts) in his major league career and he is 87-86 with a 4.47 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. This was a good low risk/high reward move for the Blue Jays who have needs in the starting rotation for the 2009 season.