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Report: Blue Jays among 4 teams interested in John Axford

Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

John Axford continues to generate plenty of interest as a free agent, and the 31-year-old reliever may even have a chance to pitch in his native Canada next season.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Toronto Blue Jays are among the four teams interested in Axford, who was born roughly 150 kilometres outside Toronto. Though it's not clear which other teams are eyeing Axford, an earlier report identified the Cincinnati Reds as a possible suitor for the hard-throwing right-hander.

Axford has struggled in recent years to replicate the success he enjoyed earlier in his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he fashioned a 2.26 ERA with a 29.6 percent strikeout rate across 131 appearances from 2009 to 2011. Over the last three seasons, he has made stops with four different teams, crafting a 4.24 ERA while battling serious control issues that led to an average of 4.8 walks per nine innings.

The 6-foot-5 hurler opened the 2014 campaign with the Cleveland Indians before getting claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates in August. He managed a 3.95 ERA - his lowest since 2011 - across 62 appearances, but posted an ugly 14.8-percent walk rate - the third-worst mark among qualified relievers.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, remain eager for right-handed relief help after losing Casey Janssen to free agency and declining contract options on both Sergio Santos and Dustin McGowan. 

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