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.
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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.
Featured image via Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images
