The Blue Jays released right-hander Jay Jackson from his minor league deal with the team, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports (Twitter link). Jackson’s deal included a clause requiring the Jays to release him today if he wasn’t going to make the Major League roster.
The 35-year-old Jackson is a veteran of four MLB seasons, as well as four seasons pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball. Since returning to North America during the 2020 season, Jackson has been a member of four different organizations, and seen time at the big league level with the Giants and Braves. After tossing 21 2/3 innings with San Francisco in 2021, Jackson appeared in just two games with Atlanta last year, mostly due to a lat strain that kept him on the injured list for almost half the season. It marked the second straight injury-riddled year for Jackson, as a hamstring tear kept him on the shelf for a big chunk of the 2021 campaign.
According to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, five other teams besides Toronto had interest in Jackson as a free agent last year, so it is quite possible he could land elsewhere in pretty quick fashion. Between his strong numbers in Japan and at the Triple-A level when healthy, Jackson would certainly seem to have something left to offer interested suitors, especially after a big Spring Training.
With a flawless 0.00 ERA in 9 1/3 innings and 13 strikeouts in 37 batters faced this spring, one would imagine the Jays would’ve been able to find room for Jackson had they not already had a bullpen full of pretty established relief options. Jackson took something of a different approach to his free agency this offseason, as he told Zwelling that he wants to pitch for a winning team, even if that means a more difficult route to winning a bullpen job.
Another desperate move by a desperate team.
Ray is he Michael, Tito, and Jermaine’s younger Brother?
Maybe you should change your username before making these types of comments
@Dustyslambchops23- why???
Wasn’t a reply to you
Ok now I see what and who you were replying to. Lol
When I see this name I always recall Joe Jackson, as portrayed in Field of Dreams.
What a game this baseball is!
This player Jay Jackson is a pitcher, not an outfielder, and I may never eve4n get to know how good he is, but I will always remember the scene where Ray Liotta introduces himself: “Joe Jackson”
Farhan is on the phone
Jackson’s ST stats : 9.1 IP, 13 K, 2 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.96 WHIP.
He’s been elite as a reliever in the minors for the past few seasons, and has been very solid in the limited MLB action he’s seen in that time.
I’m really puzzled why teams keep giving up on him. Seems like a potential under the radar bargain who could provide some real value.
He sounds like an Orioles man
I think Jay Jackson is a good relief pitcher when healthy and was insurance for the Blue Jays during Spring Training, I think they would love to keep him. If there had been an injury to another reliever on the 40 man I believe that Jay would have been on the Blue Jay’s roster but the Jay’s have been relatively lucky so far.
The Blue Jay’s also value the reputation they have with the players so generally will be straight with players and let they go if the player isn’t going to have enough of a role on their team and has other options.
Somebody gotta let him cook eventually.
His quality of opponents in spring training is 7.5. That’s somewhere between AA and AAA. And he is 35.
Likely can help someone in majors, but as a depth option.