Twins to sign veteran reliever Jay Jackson

The 36-year-old righthander pitched in 25 games for the Blue Jays last season.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 5, 2024 at 1:18PM
Jay Jackson, a 36-year-old righthander, made 23 appearances for the San Francisco Giants in 2021. (Associated Press)

The Twins apparently moved their Hot Stove season to February, as they made another roster move and reportedly agreed to terms on a major league contract with reliever Jay Jackson.

The deal, which is pending a physical, was first reported by FanSided. Financial terms weren’t immediately available. Jackson, a 36-year-old righthander, owned a 2.12 ERA in 25 relief appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, totaling 27 strikeouts and nine walks in 29⅔ innings.

Jackson, who bounced between Class AAA and the big leagues five times, was rarely used in high-leverage situations, and he was designated for assignment Oct. 1 before the Blue Jays set their postseason roster.

The Twins will be Jackson’s 10th MLB organization. After he spent four years pitching in Japan, he’s posted a 2.73 ERA in 50 big league games since 2021 with a slider he throws for 60% of his pitches. He made 23 appearances for the San Francisco Giants in 2021 and two appearances with Atlanta in 2022.

The Twins already signed free-agent reliever Josh Staumont earlier this winter, and they acquired reliever Justin Topa as a part of the Jorge Polanco trade.

about the writer

Bobby Nightengale

Minnesota Twins reporter

Bobby Nightengale joined the Star Tribune in May, 2023, after covering the Reds for the Cincinnati Enquirer for five years. He's a graduate of Bradley University.

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