The Washington Nationals have brought home one of the top remaining free agents. Edwin Jackson will spend 2012 pitching in the nation’s capital.
According to our friends at MLB Trade Rumors, reports are a one year deal between eight and twelve million dollars.
Jackson has spent a lot of time bouncing around the league and last season found himself at the center of the trade that sent Colby Rasmus of the St. Louis Cardinals to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Cardinals have turned multiple pieces in that trade into 2012 supplemental draft picks, including Jackson who is a Type B Free Agent.
An effective pitcher that projects as a number two or three guy in most rotations, Jackson has found the market decidedly thin and has obviously decided that a one year deal will allow him to drift back into the market and try his hand again next season.
| Year | Tm | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | LAD | 2 | 1 | 2.45 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 1.273 | 1.73 |
| 2004 | LAD | 2 | 1 | 7.30 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 | 31 | 20 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 1.703 | 1.45 |
| 2005 | LAD | 2 | 2 | 6.28 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 28.2 | 31 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 13 | 1.674 | 0.76 |
| 2006 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 5.45 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36.1 | 42 | 27 | 22 | 2 | 25 | 27 | 1.844 | 1.08 |
| 2007 | TBD | 5 | 15 | 5.76 | 32 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 161.0 | 195 | 116 | 103 | 19 | 88 | 128 | 1.758 | 1.45 |
| 2008 | TBR | 14 | 11 | 4.42 | 32 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 183.1 | 199 | 91 | 90 | 23 | 77 | 108 | 1.505 | 1.40 |
| 2009 | DET | 13 | 9 | 3.62 | 33 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 214.0 | 200 | 93 | 86 | 27 | 70 | 161 | 1.262 | 2.30 |
| 2010 | TOT | 10 | 12 | 4.47 | 32 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 209.1 | 214 | 111 | 104 | 21 | 78 | 181 | 1.395 | 2.32 |
| 2010 | ARI | 6 | 10 | 5.16 | 21 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 134.1 | 141 | 80 | 77 | 13 | 60 | 104 | 1.496 | 1.73 |
| 2010 | CHW | 4 | 2 | 3.24 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 75.0 | 73 | 31 | 27 | 8 | 18 | 77 | 1.213 | 4.28 |
| 2011 | TOT | 12 | 9 | 3.79 | 32 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 199.2 | 225 | 92 | 84 | 16 | 62 | 148 | 1.437 | 2.39 |
| 2011 | CHW | 7 | 7 | 3.92 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 121.2 | 134 | 55 | 53 | 8 | 39 | 97 | 1.422 | 2.49 |
| 2011 | STL | 5 | 2 | 3.58 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 78.0 | 91 | 37 | 31 | 8 | 23 | 51 | 1.462 | 2.22 |
| 9 Seasons | 60 | 60 | 4.46 | 203 | 173 | 4 | 3 | 1079.0 | 1154 | 578 | 535 | 119 | 439 | 801 | 1.476 | 1.82 | |
Jackson may be worth a look in some leagues in the middle rounds. Buying high on the journeyman may not be well advised, but taking a shot as your number two starter will yield above average results.
Bill Ivie is the co-founder of Full Spectrum Baseball and the founder of Ivie League Productions.
February 2nd, 2012 at 7:21 pm
Interesting signing by the Nationals. Helps them for this year for sure, but still aren’t necessarily contenders.
Regarding fantasy, it’s the same old story with Edwin. Someone will draft him in round 18 and cross their fingers he “puts it all together”. That team probably said the same thing the last 3 years about AJ Burnett!
February 2nd, 2012 at 7:48 pm
The (surprising) addition of Jackson certainly does give the rotation a new dynamic. He gives them an additional arm capable of pitching 200 innings and Jackson has certainly had a few moments throughout his career that give reason to believe he can be a reliable and dominant pitcher. However, there’s a reason why this guy is joining what will be his 7th organization in his 10th MLB season. There’s a reason why nobody offered him a contract more than one year in length. I don’t know what that reason is, but it’s enough for me to be cautiously optimistic here – emphasis on cautiously.
February 3rd, 2012 at 9:42 am
I’ll have more in tomorrow’s Roster Report, but this move is an A+ for the Nationals. I’m not cautiously optimistic, I’m very optimistic.
February 3rd, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Edwin Jackson as a no. 2 fantasy starter is a joke. He’s not even a no. 5.