The Boston Red Sox have decided to designate left-handed pitcher Joe Jacques for assignment, as reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive. This move clears space on the roster for Cam Booser, whose promotion was announced yesterday.
Jacques, aged 29, joined Boston’s roster last year. In his time with the team, he has pitched 28 1/3 innings in the majors, posting a 5.08 earned run average. While his strikeout rate stands at 16.8%, which is below average, his walk rate of 7.6% is solid, and his ground ball rate of 64.8% is particularly strong.
His performance in the minors has been somewhat similar, albeit with slightly higher strikeout numbers. Last year, he pitched 39 innings in Triple-A with a 2.54 ERA, maintaining a ground ball rate of 60.4%. He struck out 21.6% of batters faced while walking 8%.
It appears that the Red Sox are opting to give an opportunity to Cam Booser, known for his high-velocity fastball, over Jacques, who relies more on his sinker, averaging just over 90 miles per hour.
Boston now has a week to either trade Jacques or place him on waivers. Given the typical demand for left-handed relief pitchers and Jacques still having options, he could be acquired by another team without needing an immediate spot on the active roster.
