Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos says signing former Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana to a minor-league contract is a "no-risk deal."

Anthopoulos says if the move pans out, it's highly unlikely the 35-year-old would be ready for Opening Day.

But the Jays say they believe Santana can be effective if healthy. They also believe he can help other pitchers.

The Venezuelan left-hander has not appeared in a major-league game since 2012 due to a shoulder injury. If he does make the team, he will make a pro-rated contract of US$2.5 million with bonuses.

The native of Tovar, Venezuela has a career record of 139-78 with an earned-run average of 3.20 over 360 games (284 starts) over 12 seasons with Minnesota and New York.

He pitched the first no-hitter in Mets history on June 1, 2012, in an 8-0 win over St. Louis.

But Anthopoulos said the team is not interested in having him pitch in the minors.

Santana is expected in camp this weekend.