FRIDAY: The A’s have announced the signing.
WEDNESDAY, 6:52pm: MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that the two sides have indeed reached an agreement on a deal.
6:44pm: The A’s are closing in on a minor league contract with veteran righty Edwin Jackson, reports Julian McWilliams of The Athletic (via Twitter). Jackson spent the bulk of the 2018 campaign with the Oakland organization and played a key role in their rotation down the stretch last season.
The 35-year-old Jackson stepped into the record books the day he suited up for the Athletics last season, as they were the 13th Major League team for which he’d appeared, tying him with fellow well-traveled righty Octavio Dotel. While the new agreement with Oakland won’t give him a chance at staking sole possession to that oddball record, Jackson should have an opportunity to return to the big leagues for what would be a 17th season.
Jackson did far more than turn himself into a semi-obscure trivia answer during his time with Oakland. Though he may have initially been viewed as a stopgap option for the A’s, he quickly cemented his place on the team’s roster and made himself into a vital part of the pitching staff. As the Athletics’ rotation was ravaged by injuries, Jackson made 17 starts and provided the A’s with 92 innings of 3.33 ERA ball. Always a hard thrower, Jackson saw his velocity hold up even into his mid-30s as he averaged 93.2 mph on his fastball with 6.7 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 1.17 HR/9 and a 36.4 percent ground-ball rate along the way.
The Oakland rotation currently consists of Mike Fiers, Marco Estrada, Brett Anderson, Frankie Montas and Aaron Brooks, but once the veteran Jackson is up to speed, he’ll emerge as a candidate to step into the back of the starting five. Other healthy options on the 40-man roster for the A’s include Daniel Mengden, Paul Blackburn and Tanner Anderson, while righties Jharel Cotton, Chris Bassitt and Daniel Gossett are on the mend on the big league disabled list. Top starter Sean Manaea underwent shoulder surgery late in the 2018 season, and although he was initially expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2019 season, there’s now some hope that he could be back around the All-Star break.
I was hoping this would happen.
Can’t hurt anything having him as a backup.
Should’ve happened a month ago…
Months
Padres wtf???
Dang, I was really hoping Jackson would sign with a team he hasn’t played with yet.
Me too
This isn’t a new team…
They need/are a perfect fit for Keuchel more than they needed this move, but sure whatever.
As a Mariners fan, I would love the A’s giving up their first round pick once again and bloating their payroll to impossible levels
The A’s could have signed Harper and Machado and still be mid-range, lol “impossible levels”
A’s have also traded most of their 1st rounders in the last 15 years or so
Keuchel isn’t looking for a mega contract anymore, he’s looking for a one-year that is worth more than his qualifying offer. He’s not going to break anyone’s bank.
Minor league deal vs 20m
Brooks better pitch well or he is gone very soon.
This article is leaving out AJ Puk returning from injury too.
I hope he pitches like he did in 2017, 2016, or 2014, 2013, 2010, 2008, 2007 etc
Are the Cubs still paying him?
No, that would be the Nationals. They deferred money so they pay him minimum wage 40 hours per week for a few decades
Nope. The contract he signed with the Cubs in 2013 was a four-year deal.
I dpnt love jackson but hopefully he can at least eat up innings. If A’s have any hope of wilcard contwntion in hinges on if luzardo, manaea etc are healthy and pitching in 2nd half
Agreed, but Jackson is good depth for the A’s.
Curious if Fernando Rodney is going to be released and the A’s go with a partitioned 6 man rotation.
Looking at this guys leaderboards is quite funny, its all for negative things like 4 seasons in top 10 of hits allowed and 2 seasons in top 10 in walks allowed etc etc.
Quite a long career hes had feels like he has literally been around forever. Wish hed signed somewhere else but good luck with the A’s!
Pitch well enough and this might not be last chance to wear a New Jersey.
Newark Bears
Immortal
Edwin brings lots of experience to a young talented A’s team! Go A’s…
Go get em E Jax