Toronto Blue Jays Release Veteran Pitcher

The Toronto Blue Jays have granted their recent acquisition, right-handed relief pitcher Jay Jackson, his release as he was not selected to be added to the team's 26-man roster.

Despite pitching an impressive 9.1 innings and not allowing a single run during his time with the Blue Jays this spring, Jackson was not chosen for the final roster.

Jay Jackson, who impressed in #BlueJays camp with a 95-96 m.p.h. fastball & hard slider, is now a free agent per source.

The Jays had until noon ET today to add him to the roster. They declined to do so, which meant granting Jackson his release instead.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 25, 2023

However, his strong strikeout rate of 37.8% after facing 37 batters and striking out 14 of them suggests that he possesses the necessary skillset to compete at the major league level.

At 35 years old, Jackson's previous experience in the major leagues and strong performance this spring could make him a valuable addition to another team's roster.

Here's Jay Jackson (@Jaxland58)'s strikeout (thread) from this afternoon!

87.4 mph cutter (maybe a slider?) for his first strikeout of the game.#BlueJays pic.twitter.com/1Bt5EaFkhC

— Brennan Delaney (@Brennan_L_D) March 20, 2023

Over his four-year major-league career, Jackson holds a 4.21 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, with 80 strikeouts across 57.2 innings and 59 appearances. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports