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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Adam Kloffenstein parlayed his minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last year into a spring training invitation and 18 starts in a mostly healthy season at Triple-A Buffalo.
Kloffenstein couldn't crack the Blue Jays' major league roster, however, and watched as the Jays reached Game 7 of the World Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Now, Kloffenstein will look to return to MLB for the first time in two years with the Jays' rival in the American League East: the New York Yankees.
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Kloffenstein officially signed a minor league contract with the Yankees on Dec. 19, but the transaction was not recorded on his official player page until Sunday.
Kloffenstein, 25, went 2-8 with a 6.26 ERA for the Buffalo Bisons in 2025 after missing time early in the season with a shoulder injury.
More news: Blue Jays Cut Pitcher Following World Series Run
Kloffenstein made his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. A three-start stretch at Triple-A Memphis in June of that year saw him go 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 14 innings. He threw a scoreless inning against the San Francisco Giants in his only big league appearance on June 20, then was optioned back to Triple-A the next day.
Coinicdentally, Kloffenstein's appearance came in Major League Baseball's first Negro Leagues tribute game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
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The Cardinals lost Kloffenstein to the Blue Jays in free agency after the 2024 season. Now, after a year out of the big league spotlight, he'll presumably look to parlay another minor league contract into major league service time.
The Yankees figure to begin the 2026 season with starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt on the rehab trail following elbow surgeries. That could create an opening for Kloffenstein (or someone else) to begin the season in the rotation while the veterans rehab.
Kloffenstein was originally selected by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
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