Jay

Jackson

Jackson was jettisoned from Minnesota’s 40-man roster last month after posting an unsightly 7.52 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 29/22 K/BB ratio across 26 1/3 innings (20 appearances) this season in the big leagues. The 36-year-old journeyman is now officially a free agent and figures to be able to latch on somewhere else as emergency relief depth.

Jackson will stick around with Minnesota as extra organizational relief depth after going unclaimed on waivers following his removal last week from the club’s 40-man roster. The 36-year-old journeyman righty has posted a calamitous 7.52 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 29/22 K/BB ratio across 26 1/3 innings (20 appearances) this season in the big leagues.

Jackson was tagged for three runs courtesy of a pair of homers during Thursday’s eventual loss to the Rays and has been removed from Minnesota’s 40-man roster, according to manager Rocco Baldelli after the contest. No word on the corresponding move yet. The 36-year-old journeyman reliever struggled to a bloated 7.52 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 29/22 K/BB ratio across 26 1/3 innings (20 appearances) this season for Minnesota.

Jackson returns to a 6.85 ERA in 22 1/3 innings for the Twins this year. However, the 36-year-old was tremendous for the Blue Jays last year, posting a 2.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 27/9 K/BB ratio over his 29 2/3 innings. The Twins will hope he can recapture some of that form. Louie Varland was sent down in a corresponding move.

Varland was called up for a spot start on Tuesday to give the starting rotation a rest and did well, allowing just one hit over five innings against the Rockies while walking only one batter and striking out three. He will head back to Triple-A to continue working on his changeup and cutter, which were two things the Twins were concerned about in his early-season struggles. He should be back up for starts later in the season or if another injury occurs in the Twins rotation. Jay Jackson was called up to take his place on the roster.

Jackson was designated for assignment Sunday, and while he could have elected free agency, the right-hander decided to stay in the Minnesota organization and report to Triple-A.

The Twins need rome on the roster for Caleb Boushley, so Jackson is off the 40-man roster. If the 36-year-old goes unclaimed he can report back to Triple-A St. Paul, or he can elect free agency.

FanSided’s Robert Murray says the deal is worth $1.5 million, $200,000 of which comes in the form of a buyout on a $3 million option for 2025. That’s great for Jackson, who, since he’s shy of the service time for arbitration, would have earned something very close to the minimum had the Twins or any other team claimed him off waivers in October. It was baffling that no one jumped then. Jackson is 36 and doesn’t have a lot of upside, but he’s a solid choice to round out a pen.

The Twins have yet to announce the deal, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that it’s done. The 36-year-old reliever has reinvented himself after returning from Japan in 2021, posting a 2.73 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 53 innings since coming back stateside. Last year with the Blue Jays, he posted a 2.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 27/9 K/BB ratio over his 29 2/3 innings thanks, in part, to a plus-slider. He would make an already strong Twins’ bullpen that much deeper.

The 36-year-old hurler did an outstanding job out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen in 2023, posting a minuscule 2.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 27/9 K/BB ratio over his 29 2/3 frames. Given the overall lack of quality bullpen depth around the league, it’s easy to see why he’s being coveted by so many teams.