Last Friday, Zach Klein reported that the Giants were closing in on a deal with longtime Braves reliever Luke Jackson. Today, that deal became official, as he is heading to San Francisco on a two-year contract worth $11.5 million in total.
The #SF Giants sign free-agent reliever Luke Jackson to a two-year, $11.5 million deal:
2023: $3M
2024: $6.5M
2025: $7M club option or $2M buyout.
Jackson, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, has already passed his physical and is expected to pitch at some point in 2023.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 9, 2023
It’s somber to see Luke Jackson leave, but at the same time, I’m thrilled with the contract he received coming off Tommy John surgery. I’m shocked he got a two-year deal and never would have thought he would command $11.5 million. For those reasons, it’s obvious why the Braves weren’t involved and pivoted elsewhere.
Jackson had a wild ride with the Braves. He was DFA’d three different times before becoming the team’s primary closer for a large part of the 2019 season. Throughout his tenure, he dealt with criticism from the fan base, but nobody would ever have known it based on how he handled himself in the clubhouse.
Luke Jackson was one of the best personalities on the team, and his final season will go down as one of the better performances from a reliever in franchise history. He finished the 2021 campaign with a minuscule 1.98 ERA over 63.2 innings. Tommy John unfortunately cost him the entire 2022 season, but I’m glad to see him land on his feet with a well-respected organization like the Giants. I hope he picks up right where he left off in 2023.
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