Unexpected Player Wins Spot on Blue Jays Roster

It's been a long nine years in the minor leagues, but finally, it's all paying off for Gosuke Katoh. The 27-year-old infielder has won a job on the Toronto Blue Jays major league roster. 

As reported by Ben Nicholson-Smith, when Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told him the news, Katoh couldn't believe his ears. 

"Congratulations," said Montoyo as he approached the utility infielder after their spring training game on Monday. "Congratulations on what?" asked Katoh. "You made the team."

Katoh at first thought his skipper was joking. But he had indeed won a spot on the Toronto bench. 

"A lot of hard work went into this, and it's an emotional day for me," he told Nicholson-Smith. "I've worked for this for a very long time, and it means the world to me."

In 197 games at Triple-A, he has a .294 average and an .846 OPS. Not a lot of power, but plenty of plate discipline as evidenced by his .385 on base percentage at that level.

He can also play a number of positions, including 1B, 2B, 3B, LF and RF. And oh yes, key for the Blue Jays, he is a much-needed left-handed bat. 

Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports