The Blue Jays are signing reliever Jay Jackson to a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). He’ll be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee.
The 35-year-old has seen some big league action in four seasons, including each of the last couple years. He only pitched twice at the highest level for the Braves last season, working 1 1/3 scoreless frames. He was held out of action for the first couple months by a lat strain and spent the bulk of the year on optional assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Jackson pitched very well for the Stripers, allowing only five runs over 19 2/3 innings. He struck out 25 of the 80 hitters he faced (a 31.3% clip) while walking just four. Despite that quality work, Jackson couldn’t seize a spot in an Atlanta bullpen that was one of the sport’s deepest. The Braves ran him through outright waivers in September and he reached minor league free agency at season’s end.
The veteran hurler logged more extensive MLB action with the Giants during the 2021 campaign. He threw 21 2/3 innings through 23 outings for San Francisco, posting a 3.74 ERA while punching out 31.1% of batters faced. He missed plenty of bats but struggled with wobbly control, doling out free passes to more than 13% of opponents.
Jackson will be in camp and vie for a spot in a Toronto bullpen that could have a few openings in the middle innings. Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, Anthony Bass, Yimi García and Tim Mayza should have spots secured. Adam Cimber and out-of-options hurlers Trevor Richards and Mitch White could have the inside track at the remaining jobs but don’t seem as firmly penciled in. Jackson has one minor league option year remaining.
Impressive K-BB ratios in the minors
Good minor league signing. Gets a lot of Ks, which the Blue Jays need. And you can add Cimber to the list of Jays relievers with secured spots. He’s got more than just an “inside track.”
Cimber has a 2.42 era as a Blue Jay. I think his spot on the roster is very secure.
Jay Jackson is finally a Jay!
Blue Jay Jackson has a nice ring to it.
Wasn’t that long ago they had A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan on the team.
Shoeless.
Kudos to a guy that’s 35 y/o with less than 58 ML IP in his career and keeps it going. Hope you get more than a cup of coffee, Jay.
Cimber was the Toronto’s most used reliever last season & won 10 games out of the bullpen. His job is secure
An actual Jay on the Jays. A little bit less deceptive a name.
Who?
Wasn’t he a member of the Jackson 5?
Article should be adjusted to include Cimber as a lock, nothing has been reported or whispered to the contrary… a little reckless
>Adam Cimber…could have the inside track at the remaining jobs but don’t seem as firmly penciled in
Jays like him everywhere but the ninth, and trust is increeasing. His average leverage with the Jays was 0.94 in 2021. It was 1.34 in 2022. That was a hair lower than Mayza and much higher than Bass.
They still need 1 more solid reliable arm that can pitch high leverage and a lefty would be better, Matza is okay, but look what happened in the deciding game! Also if Romano goes down?? Chafin would be a great add, Britton might be great again but is more of a question mark, but like Reyes could be an excellent buy low candidate. To me Richards and White either make the team on their merits out of spring training or get DFA’d and hope for the best! With the acquisition of Thompson, White is in my opinion in a battle with Kikuchi for the last starting job, loser is gone! They cant afford to repeat last years mistakes in the pen!
Nate Pearson on line 1
The Blue Jays are going for it in 2023.
The Jay’s are trash
Still bitter about 2015 and 2016 I guess
Congrats you won two rounds and got dusted by the Royals and Cleveland lol
Still beat texas who have never won anything.
Jays were back to contending within 3 years, rangers are basement dwellers, have fun finishing fourth in your division this year
The Bluejays were not contenders within 3 years and are still barely in that conversation. You sound like one of those jays fans that thought Kevin Pillar was a god. Making an expanded wild card spot in a short season and getting bounced in the first round in a wild card spot again is hardly contending…..The Jays will have a 200-plus million payroll and are just cracking the top ten in power rankings….
Back to back 90 win seasons lol
You sound like a fan of a team that has never won anything, ever. Rangers have spent 600
Million the last 2 years to not even have a chance at 1st or 2nd place in the division.
And you got swept in the wild card …… Serious contender! You just spent 20 mil on Belt and Keirmeier …. You do realize the jays have spent 300 mills over the last 3 seasons in FAs and have 2 quick exits from a wild card? Did you forget that 150 million dollar deal to springer that is looking pretty bad….. hows that 80 you gave to Ryu looking?
Making the playoffs isn’t contending? You say that after the playoff team with the fewest wins has made it to or won the World Series numerous times, the Phillies and Braves the last couple years for example? Ha, I wonder if you’ve ever watched baseball.
If you don’t have a sniff of actually winning a world series then no I don’t. Maybe my definition of contention is more realistic than yours. The Jays are good but not a top contender and have not been. The Oakland A’s made the playoff 18,19, 20 again. Good team but no one saw them as contenders and surprise surprise bounced from the playoff first round every time
Rangers are trash. It’s fun watching them spend ridiculous money to lose, they are the worst team in last 20 years to develop pitching.
One year closer to robot umpires…maybe 2024!!
I actually don’t think there is a spot to win (outside of injury) in the jays pen.
Locks
Romano
Garcia
Bass
Swanson
Cimber
Mayza
Kikuchi/White (long man role)
That leaves one spot for 1 of;
Richards
Pearson
Pop
Gage
Zulueta
Thornton
It’s not an elite bullpen, but the floor and depth is much higher than the last two seasons. Considering all the games they lost the last two years because they gave too many chances to Dolis, Chatwood, Saucedo, Merryweather, Borucki, Hand, Banda etc.
I think Pop is a lock. But we know there will be injuries and a couple of those guys will start the season on the IL.
Only reason Pop isn’t a lock is because he has an option, so they might start him off in AAA to get a look at someone who they would otherwise lose.
I think Pop could be an elite reliever though, hopefully he spends majority of the year in the majors