Cesar Izturis signs minor league deal with Toronto

The Toronto Blue Jays signed free-agent utility player Cesar Izturis to a minor-league contract on Wednesday. Izturis will be returning to the club that originally signed him out of Venezuela in 1996. Cesar is the half-brother of Maicer Izturis, who inked a three-year deal with Toronto on November 8.

Izturis spent the 2012 season playing with the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals, filling in at every infield position. He hit .241/.254/.343 and smacked a pair of homers in 173 plate appearances. The 32-year-old also played four games with Milwaukee's Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds, and hit .083/.083/.083 in 13 plate appearances, recording a single hit.

In his 12-year major-league career, Izturis has played for the Blue Jays, Pirates, Dodgers, Orioles, Cardinals, Cubs, and Brewers, and has hit .255/.294/.323. He does have some speed; the Venezuelan has hit 34 triples and swiped 110 bases in his career, but he has been caught 53 times.