Mariners outfielder Austin Jackson has cleared revocable trade waivers, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The free-agent-to-be has been discussed recently in trade talks, per the report.
Jackson, 28, has had something of an up-and-down season but has generally disappointed since coming to Seattle last summer in the three-team David Price deal. (The Mariners shipped Nick Franklin to the Rays to add Jackson from the Tigers.) All told, he’s slashed .259/.302/.365 on the year while adding seven home runs. Though Jackson has swiped 15 bags, he’s been caught on nine attempts.
With free agency looming, Jackson’s value is well down off its peak. Between 2010 and 2013, he compiled a cumulative .278/.344/.416 batting line while often tallying double-digit home runs and steals. With good defensive ratings in center field, he racked up an average of 4.7 rWAR in that span.
With that solid base of stats to work from, Jackson cost the M’s $7.7MM this year via arbitration. About $1.725MM of that still remains to be paid, but apparently no teams were interested in paying the full amount.
The right-handed hitter continues to put up roughly equivalent numbers against right-handed and left-handed pitching, so he’s not a clear platoon player, though he could certainly make sense for a contender as a fourth outfielder. Jackson is one of several outfielders who have now been reported to have cleared trade waivers. Click here for the full list of reportedly clearing players.
What would it take for the Cubs to get him? Since Soler went down they could be in a position to get a guy like Jackson for the home stretch. Could also see the Giants make a strong push for him given their OF situation
Not much. He has speed and defensive value, so maybe a mid level prospect. It really depends on who values him for another month of baseball.
I wouldn’t think so either. I haven’t had a chance to watch a ton of Cubs games due to not having cable – Do you think a trade for Jackson to start in the OF would be a better situation then a platoon of Denorfia and Coghlan?
Goes to Giants, Cubs sit on their hands !
I’m not too sure about that. It was said the Giants were showing strong interest in Drew Stubbs and he went to the Rangers. We are actually in a good spot with the outfield. 7 days until we can see some of these kids from Sac come up and they have been hitting very well. Jarret Parker and Mac Williamson have been on fire. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both of them in September.
The Giants should go out and get him. He would upgrade a bench that has been the problem for the team all year. You don’t know when pagan will come back and if he will be able to do much. Jackson is better than what we have off the bench. I would be so much more comfortable with him as depth than what we have. Eventually Jackson and Byrd in platoon/bench roles is a HUGE upgrade from what we have had this year.
I’m sure there is a big need for Jackson. With Blanco playing well, Jackson is just a 4th outfielder until Pagan comes back. Once Pagan and Pence are back as expected, Jackson becomes a 6th outfielder. I’d expect there to be better offers out there for Jackson, so I don’t see SF as a likely destination.
He’s expensive and you don’t have any control, so the price would have to be on the light side, unless you were a contender and lost an outfielder for the duration. But, even then, Jackson is no longer the dynamic player he was after the Yankees foolishly traded him. If he catches fire a bit, he might be worth a win. Maybe, if you felt like that might make the difference, you make an offer.
If I’m the Mariners, I don’t take anything less than a top 20 prospect and cash.. If you don’t trade him you get a compensation pick if he declines the qualifying offer, or you resign him.. If he does get traded though, the most likely teams to get him in my opinion are the Yankees or the Angels, both teams could use outfield help and are still fighting for a playoff spot, and with tex going down for the Yankees they need another bat! But most likely he won’t get traded.. As for the Cubs, that should be the last team interested in Jackson! They don’t have room for him or a desire to trade prospects for a rental option!
Is Austin Jackson really a serious candidate for a qualifying offer? If he is, then wow.
I’m pretty sure he is, I could be wrong…
No, he’s not. I live in Seattle, and I have watched him all year. The guy is adequately defensively, but he strikes out a lot, doesn’t get on base enough to be a leadoff hitter, and is not very successful in speed attempts. Ms would be crazy to offer this guy a qualifying offer because he would accept it; he knows no other team would offer him that kind of guaranteed $ after a year he has just had.
Thanks for the information…from what I read, your statements are very accurate. I think I hear that the QO will be around 16m next year. M’s would be stupid to offer him that, because I guarantee he takes that in a second.
Coming into the year, yes, he was a guy who could’ve received one. Might’ve even been likely, given his age and history (in spite of the iffy 2014). But I have a hard time seeing it now with an extended production shortage.
At this point, I think his market position could be roughly analogous to that of Colby Rasmus last year. (Loads of variability, of course, so I’m not saying I think he’s destined for the same deal or anything.)
A qualilifying offer?!? The guy is a notch or maybe two above Jeff Francoeur.
If the Rangers hadn’t just signed Stubbs I would say they would be in the running for him, but now the only way the rangers go get him is if they trade Stubbs to get him!