After returning home to New York towards the end of last season, Joe Panik is now headed north of the border. The Hopewell Junction, N.Y., native and St. John's product has agreed to a deal with the Blue Jays, according to MLB.com's Jon Heyman.

Panik, 29, was released by the Giants in August after spending the first six seasons of his Major League career in San Francisco. He finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2014, was named an NL All-Star in 2015, but never fully developed into the player the Giants were hoping for when they drafted him in the first round in 2011.

Panik slashed just .235/.310/.317 in 108 games with Giants last year, but was quickly signed by the Mets just two days after his release. He rebounded slightly with the change of scenery, finishing his 39-game stint in Queens with a .277/.333/.404 slash line.

With Cavan Biggio manning second base for Toronto, Panik figures to compete for a bench role on the Blue Jays, who have had a busy offseason in adding both Travis Shaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Panik had also been previously named an option for the Yankees, who are also looking for left-handed bats in their lineup.

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