Most free agents wait a bit longer to sign.
But the New York Mets pounced on a sidewinding lefty relief pitcher on Wednesday.
MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported the signing of Joe Jacques to a minor-league deal. He'll get an invite to major league camp, and he'll make $800,000 if he makes the MLB club.
It's a cool spot for Jacques to sign. He's a native of Red Bank, New Jersey, and he played his college baseball for Manhattan University.
Jacques is a 6-foot-4, 30-year old lefty who has a true sidearm motion.
In his career, Jacques has appeared in 25 MLB games. He has a 5.46 ERA split between time with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Jacques has 22 MLB strikeouts in 29.2 innings.
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He didn't make it to the majors in 2025.
Instead, Jacques split this past season between Triple-A Oklahoma City (Dodgers organization) and Triple-A Tacoma (Mariners organization).
It wasn't the best year for Jacques, who had a 6.02 ERA across 47 Triple-A games in 2025. He did strike out 61 batters in 52.1 innings.
The Mets likely don't plan on Jacques making their MLB Opening Day roster in 2026, but his unique arm slot and local upbringing make him a fun guy to bring on board on the off chance that he grows this offseason into a contributor to next season's Mets.
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