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Ohka signs with Jays

Print | Comments () Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff January 23, 2007 01:58 PM

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The Toronto Blue Jays have signed former Red Sox right-hander Tomo Ohka to a one-year deal with incentives. While contract details were not yet available, Ohka made the choice over Washington and Pittsburgh.

The deal, confirmed by Ohka's agent, Jim Masteralexis, will be contingent on Ohka passing a physical examination. Ohka is still in Tokyo and will make his way to Toronto in the next few days to complete the deal.

Ohka is 41-41 since becoming a full-time starter in 2002. Of the 102 pitchers with at least 600 innings pitches since 2002, only nine received less run support per game (4.61 runs/nine innings).

Toronto, in need of another starting pitcher, was attractive to Ohka because of the possibility of getting run support from one of the best lineups in baseball.

"It was a tough decision," Masteralexis said. "But we felt Toronto was a playoff-caliber team and Tomo wants the opportunity to pitch in the American League East and compete to make the playoffs."

Ohka could have taken a longer term deals with other teams, but chose the one-year deal instead with the opportunity to get back into free-agency next season.