An Opening Day roster announcement 17 years in the making

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KANSAS CITY -- Just after Twins manager Rocco Baldelli announced to the media that he’d told Kody Funderburk, Cole Sands and Jorge Alcala that they’d made the Opening Day roster on Tuesday, all but locking in their 26-man group to open the season, he paused.

“To be honest, I haven’t talked to Jay Jackson,” Baldelli said. “I probably should tell him.”

Since Jackson had signed a Major League contract in free agency, there was perhaps some thought that it would have been considered a given that he’d break camp with the team. To be clear, Jackson hadn’t appeared worried about his roster status that morning, when he celebrated finishing a healthy spring by galloping circles around the clubhouse with a huge grin on his face.

But Jackson, 36, hasn’t been able to take any roster status for granted across his 17 seasons of professional baseball. In fact, this is the first time in those two decades that he will stand on the baseline and hear his name announced as a member of an MLB Opening Day roster -- and that’s certainly meaningful to him.

“I’m thankful and blessed and grateful to have been able to enjoy this journey to this point,” Jackson said. “Even though it’s taken 17 [years], it’s been a wonderful 17. I wouldn’t change it for the world. … You take it in and you enjoy it for that moment, but then, it’s back to work.”

Consider the timeline here:

In 2008, Jackson was selected by the Cubs in the ninth round of the MLB Draft. The third overall pick that year (Eric Hosmer) and fifth (Buster Posey) have already retired following MLB careers of more than a decade.

In 2011, Jackson was listed as the No. 6 prospect in the Cubs’ organization on their first MLB Pipeline ranking.

In 2015, Jackson made his MLB debut with the Padres, pitching in only six games.

In 2016, Jackson went to Japan and began a three-year career with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

In 2019, Jackson resurfaced in the Majors with the Brewers, went back to Japan in ‘20, where his contract was canceled, and came back to the U.S., where he found a 23-appearance stint with the Giants in ‘21, and a 25-appearance season with the Blue Jays in ‘23.

In 2024, Jackson signed his first MLB free-agent contract and navigated a healthy spring. He’ll stand along the third-base line next to his teammates on Thursday and wave to the camera as his name booms from the speakers and he’s shown on the video board.

“Only a few teams offered me a Major League deal, so it only takes one team to want you,” Jackson said. “I’m so happy and ecstatic to be here for the opportunity and I’m just thankful that they thought enough of me for me to be on this team and thankful that they gave me the opportunity to be on the Opening Day roster with the bunch of great guys that we have.”

Not only is Jackson going to be on the Opening Day roster; he’s set to play an important role. With Jhoan Duran, Caleb Thielbar and Justin Topa all injured, Jackson should be one of the Twins’ setup men -- and he’s ready to get to work now that it’s finally all sunk in.

“I went to dinner with [Byron Buxton] last night and kind of enjoyed taking it in for a minute,” Jackson said. “Enjoyed it probably yesterday and a little bit this morning. All the family, [my fiancée] Sam and the parents telling me congratulations yesterday, it hit a little bit yesterday.”