The Dodgers will look to work their magic again
Things worked out for the Los Angeles Dodgers when they picked up former Boston Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier and turned him into a valuable bullen piece.
And the Dodgers are taking on another reclamation project in the form of an ex-Red Sox pitcher.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported this past Saturday that the Dodgers signed Joe Jacques to a minor-league contract and also gave him an invite to big-league camp in the spring.
Jacques appeared in 24 games for the Red Sox over one-plus seasons with 23 of those outings coming in 2023. The left-hander posted a 5.08 ERA and 1.588 WHIP with one save during his Red Sox tenure before the 29-year-old was designated for assignment this past April.
The Diamondbacks claimed Jacques off waivers, but he ended up making just one appearance for Arizona. Jacques did go 3-0 with a 4.30 ERA in 35 appearances with Triple-A Reno last season.
Jacques now has a chance to be part of a Dodgers organization that is not only fresh off winning the World Series, but the favorite to win it all again in 2025. He can give them left-handed bullpen depth, something the Dodgers aren’t in great supply of at the moment.
Jacques following the path Brasier took would be a success for the Dodgers. Brasier got released by the Red Sox in May 2023 after owning a bloated 7.29 ERA that season. LA scooped him up and Brasier looked completely different in Dodger Blue by posting a microscopic 0.70 ERA in 39 appearances. Brasier also had a respectable season with the Dodgers in 2024 — 29 appearances, 3.54 ERA — and contributed to the franchise’s run to a championship.
So, perhaps the Dodgers can work their magic again, this time with Jacques.