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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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It's incredibly difficult to make it to the major leagues, and catcher C.J. Stubbs accomplished that dream last season.
After just one game, Stubbs has a new goal -- to make it to the majors on a second team's roster.
Stubbs made his debut on Sept. 1 with the Washington Nationals, going 0-for-3 at the plate, but helping secure a victory over the Miami Marlins. He was optioned to Triple-A the next day, then waived and outrighted off the 40-man roster at the end of October.
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Rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A, Stubbs elected free agency. Now, he's headed from the last-place Nationals to the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.
According to the transactions log on his official roster page, Stubbs signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday. He was initially assigned to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, but that could change depending on how he performs during spring training.
Stubbs, 29, had an odd season last year. He was good in 33 games in Triple-A, posting a .798 OPS, but in 42 games at Double-A, his OPS was a brutal .479. He's generally been a hitter who strikes out too much and doesn't hit for much average, but provides some thump for a catcher (72 minor-league home runs in 481 games).
Stubbs also has an older brother, Garrett, who has played 197 major league games for the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, for whom he remains a candidate to make the opening day roster.
The Blue Jays' main backup catcher, Tyler Heineman, was a minor-league journeyman for most of his career as well, before breaking out in his age-34 season last year. No one is taking All-Star Alejandro Kirk's starting job, so Stubbs will have to beat out Heineman and Triple-A backstop Brandon Valenzuela or potentially step up if someone gets hurt.
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