Durham, N.C. — The contract of St. Paul Saints RHP John Straka has been purchased by the Toronto Blue Jays organization, the American Association announced on Saturday.
Now in his third season in the league, Straka is currently tied for second in the AA with 10 victories to go along with 77 strikeouts in 94.1 innings of work and a 4.48 ERA. He spent the previous two years with the Sioux City Explorers, where he assembled another 20 total victories.
In his last start on August 8 he hurled 7.0 innings allowing one run against the Gary SouthShore Railcats. His finest outing of the season came on July 31 at Lincoln when he tossed 7.0 shutout innings allowing just two hits while striking out seven. On July 17 against Fargo-Moorhead at CHS Field he struck out a season high 11. He’s gone at least six innings nine times and allowed three or fewer earned runs eight times.
Previously, the St. Louis Park, Minn., native was a 32nd-round choice by Texas in the 2013 draft out of North Dakota State University and spent the 2013 campaign in the Rangers’ organization.