Blue Jays Sign Olerud of Washington State

John Olerud, a Washington State baseball star, signed a multi-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday and will forgo his last year of college.

Olerud, a 6-foot-4 left-handed pitcher-first baseman, will be eligible to be put on the Toronto roster Sept. 1. “They offered a great deal,” said Olerud, who suffered a brain aneurysm in January and underwent surgery. “They’re a great organization with great facilities, and they offered a chance to go directly to the big leagues to a team in the pennant race.”

Olerud told the Spokesman-Review in Spokane that he signed a three-year contract worth about $1 million, including a signing bonus of more than $250,000.