How are members of the 2023 Blue Jays doing on their new teams? (May update)

Jordan Hicks

With the trend in recent years of relievers successfully converting into starters, Jordan Hicks has quickly become one of the classic examples of it as well. After playing a huge part in the Jays' bullpen core down the stretch in 2023 following the trade from the St. Louis Cardinals at the deadline, he inked a four-year, $44 M contract with the San Francisco Giants this past offseason. With Hicks looking for the opportunity to become a starter once again since his last experience back in 2022, the Giants were willing to give him that chance.

With almost two months now into 2024, Hicks appeared to have answered all the questions about whether or not he should be in the starting rotation. In nine starts, he has posted a solid 3-1 record with a tidy 2.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, along with giving up just 2 home runs and recording 39 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched.

Jay Jackson

Jay Jackson has been one of the forgotten heroes from the Jays’ squad in 2023. A journeyman that was called upon at various times throughout the season to help out the battered and bruised bullpen, Jackson rose to the occasion to help the team solve many of their issues at hand. In total, he went a stellar 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP with 27 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work. Most impressively, he only yielded runs in just four of his 25 appearances.

Surprisingly, Jackson was not re-upped by the Jays for 2024, as he ultimately latched on with the Minnesota Twins via free agency. However, this season has been a completely different story for Jackson thus far. He has struggled to avoid contact as he has compiled a 1-2 record with a 5.91 ERA, giving up 19 hits including 4 home runs in just over 21.1 innings pitched. In his 16 outings to date, he has given up runs in over half of them, including multiple runs in five of the games.

Wes Parsons

After having a forgettable debut with the Jays at the end of the 2023 season in which he gave up 9 earned runs on 10 hits in just 4 innings of work against the Tampa Bay Rays, Wes Parsons quickly wiped away any memories of it and did the unthinkable by making the Jays’ Opening Day roster for 2024. However, that dream was short-lived, as he appeared in just two games and gave up a whopping 6 runs in just 5 innings of work.

Parsons was eventually designated for assignment and then traded to the Cleveland Guardians for $250,000 international signing bonus pool money. He would go on to make two scoreless appearances for the Guardians in April before he was sent down to their Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers and has remained there ever since. With the Clippers, Parsons has maintained an impressive 1.84 ERA with 20 strikeouts in just 14.2 innings of work over six appearances.