Blue Jays sign Bernard, Jackson to minor league deals

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league contract. Photo: Toronto Blue Jays/Twitter

January 27, 2023

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms with OF Wynton Bernard and RHP Jay Jackson on minor league contracts with invites to 2023 Major League spring training.

Bernard, 32, made his Major League debut with the Colorado Rockies last August, batting .286 across 12 games. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed hitter spent most of his 2022 season with triple-A Albuquerque where he hit .333 with 60 extra-base hits and 92 RBIs. Bernard was a 35th–round selection out of Niagara University by the San Diego Padres in 2012. Over 10 Minor League campaigns, the native of San Diego has played in 884 games while keeping a .289 batting average and a .774 OPS.

Jackson, 35, made two scoreless appearances for the Atlanta Braves in 2022, having spent the majority of his season with triple-A Gwinnett. The Greenville, S.C., native was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2008 and reached the majors as a member of the San Diego Padres in 2015. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound reliever has pitched in parts of four different seasons with four Major League teams, combining for a 3-1 record and a 4.21 ERA.