6 former Blue Jays fan favourites still without a job heading toward spring training

Jay Jackson

For well-travelled journeyman Jay Jackson, he finally got his chance to shine at the ripe age of 35 this past season with the Jays. Jackson managed to piece together a strong season with the ballclub despite being moved up and down between the minors and majors on multiple occasions throughout the course of the year. But whenever he was called upon by the big league club, he confidently delivered with flying colours.

For 2023, Jackson compiled a solid 3-1 record with a stellar 2.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, along with 27 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched. More impressively, he yielded runs in only four of his 25 overall appearances with the ballclub. On top of that, he was able to accomplish it in a professional manner while having to deal with personal issues with his newborn at the same time, showing how spectacular a feat it actually was.

Shockingly, despite his outstanding performance all year, Jackson was designated for assignment near the end of the season and was not included on the Jays’ postseason roster. Ultimately, it ended his tenure with the ballclub as he entered free agency during the offseason. It would seem like a no-brainer to bring back an effective Jackson on a low-risk, friendly deal that he would most likely accept, but nothing has transpired as of yet from that front, making the chance of a reunion more and more unlikely. Hopefully, he will get his opportunity to catch on with a ballclub prior to the start of the 2024 season to give him the chance to prove once again that he is indeed an MLB-calibre pitcher.