The Tigers have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran righty Edwin Jackson, as was first indicated on the league transactions log at MLB.com. Jason Beck of MLB.com tweets that Jackson is joining the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Toledo.
It’ll be Jackson’s second tour of duty with the Tigers, as he spent the 2009 campaign in Detroit as well. That year was one of the best of Jackson’s career, as he logged a career-high 214 innings with a 3.62 ERA and the lone All-Star nod of his remarkable big league journey. Jackson was recently cut loose by the Blue Jays — the MLB-record 14th team for which he has pitched.
The 35-year-old Jackson couldn’t get on track in Toronto, limping to a miserable 11.12 ERA in 28 1/3 innings there. He was charged with 35 earned runs on a whopping 49 hits (12 home runs) and 13 walks with 19 strikeouts in that time. That said, “E-Jax” was a vital member of the Athletics’ surprising playoff push just a season ago. His 2018 campaign featured 92 innings of 3.33 ERA ball with 6.7 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 1.2 HR/9.
Jackson still averaged 93.5 mph on his fastball in his time with the Blue Jays — a modest increase over last year’s velocity — so there’s still plenty of life in his arm. He’ll head to Toledo for now, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get a chance at the big league level in the near future. Detroit’a rotation has already lost Michael Fulmer (Tommy John surgery) and Matt Moore (knee surgery) for the season, and it’s not clear when (or if) Tyson Ross will be cleared to resume pitching in 2019. Add the possibility of a Matthew Boyd trade in the next nine days, and the uncertainty in the rotation is palpable. It’s also possible that Jackson could resurface as a bullpen option. There’s perhaps even more uncertainty in the Detroit relief corps, and closer Shane Greene is even likelier than Boyd to be traded before July 31.
MrMet62
“The 25 year old Jackson”. Wow! He must have started his big career as a 15 year old!
Cuso
More like a 2-year old!
nats3256
I lol’ed at 25 yoa. it’s okay, the 3 and 2 are close and we all do it. it did make me laugh a little to hard for some reason.
Melchez
Maybe jackson identifies as a 25 year old? Let’s keep it PC up in here up in here.
its_happening
25 is his Tinder setting.
Is that unPC?
acarneglia
Jackson should’ve signed with one of the teams he hadn’t played with yet, keep the record going
PapiElf
Noooooooooo!!!! He’s already played for the Tigers
smrtbusnisman04a
Edwin Jackson is changing his age to 25 so he can keep his career going and play for every team in the Majors lol!!!
Steve Adams
Thanks to those who pointed out the 25 vs. 35 typo on his age, ha. Taking my belief that he is ageless a bit too far, it seems, ha.
Robertowannabe
Dang, Edwin probably was reading your original draft and was feeling mighty good today, youthful you might say….I one keyboard stroke, you made his aches and pains reappear almost instantly…..poor guy…. 🙂
CardsNation5
I guess that some of y’all don’t know that he made his debut as a 20 year old supposed to be phenom as a Dodger?
johnrealtime
Debuted on his 20th birthday no less
vtadave
And beat some guy named Randy Johnson no less.
jmacd526
Bring back Bonderman now I dare you
Monkey’s Uncle
“Nate Robertson is on Line 1, Al”.
mtb703
Todd Jones to get the call once Greene clears up the spot on the 40 man.
diller1340
I heard Joel Zumaya threw a bullpen the other day
its_happening
Saw Mike Maroth at the gym the other day…
YakAttack
Nate Cornejo delivered my pizza last night.
Monkey’s Uncle
Armando Galarraga drove my Uber last week.
tigerfan4ever
Desperate times require desperate measures?
OCTraveler
Forget Jackson … I want to know who is agent is – he is the superstar who keeps on convincing teams to take a look at & sign a player who as a marginal right handed middle reliever continues to earn paycheck after paycheck.
Robertowannabe
A very quick use of the Agent tracker tool above and voila! ESQ Agency!
bobtillman
He hasn’t pitched for the Seattle Pilots yet……
AngelDiceClay
Irwin Allen has called his agent. He’s doing. Time Tunnel reboot. Wardrobe dept is currently making him a Seattle Pilot uniform.
bobtillman
Sorry, I’ll be busy on the “Sealab” with Admiral Crane……
66TheNumberOfTheBest
I want the new Seattle NHL team to be called the Pilots so we can read bad headlines when they play Winnipeg.
Pilots Down The Jets.
Jets Too Much for Pilots.
That and the names being tossed out like Totems and Krakens are terrible.
jdgoat
The Kraken released on the Pacific!
bitteroldman
Krakens actually sounds pretty cool
PeeWeeGaskins
Yeeeeeeeaaahhh boiiiii! Taking it back to 08!
PeeWeeGaskins
…or 09. Whenever.
Robertowannabe
Bummer, was hoping it was gonna be an organization that he had not landed in yet…..Still hanging on to number 14.
jdgoat
But how can a rebuilding team bring him in?
jdgoat
/s
Robertowannabe
They were mistaken like Steve A. was and thought they were signing a 25 year old Edwin Jackson and not the same Edwin Jackson that they had when he was 25 for real? 🙂 Sounds like the line from Major league….I wish we had him 10 years ago… we did…
its_happening
12 years ago then….
Melchez
Jackson is an improvement over Zimmermann, Soto and Carpenter.
its_happening
Soto can’t locate if his life depends on it. Frustrating to watch a guy with his stuff be that bad this weekend.
bradthebluefish
Welcome back Jackson!
bayareabenny
He must love the game because after 17 years and 15 teams and 66 million dollars made you’d think he would have retired by now.
jirogers72
Way to rebuild Al. We’re getting younger by the day. Can’t wait for deadline deals when he gets scalped again!
Melchez
Al has 9 days to get Jackson out there and build up trade value. Then flip him for prospects.
Tigers are so bad…. the top 10 in WAR on the team have two guys that have only played 2 games each. Matt Moore at .7 in 10 innings and Tyler Alexander at .5 in 12 innings. Orioles players have better WAR than the Tigers.
Socrates Curveball
For a tanking team about to trade away starting pitching Edwin Jackson makes a ton of sense. At the worst he’ll give you innings, and contribute towards securing that #2 overall draft pick in a 2 player draft in 2020.
Melchez
Tigers are only a couple games away from that number 1 pick.
Bal 31 – 67
Det 30 – 65
Tigers will get it.
doobiejc
Tigers are going to be picking number 1.
gorav114
Baltimore has been playing pretty good lately. That four game series between Detroit and Baltimore near end of season is going to be fun. May be first series ever where both teams are trying to lose the game. We will see position players pitching, all bench players starting, everyone out of position, and slow guys trying to steal bases!
hook316
Milt Wilcox let his call go to voicemail..,
its_happening
Dan Petry and Walt Terrell were at a mustache convention.
Monkey’s Uncle
OK I seriously laughed too much at this one, nice work.
Monkey’s Uncle
Doyle Alexander was out walking his poodle.
Melchez
James Shields says WTH!!!
kelticknotz
LMAO, its like musical chairs, when the music stops some team winds up with Edwin Jackson, and you have to keep him until the music stops again.
What’s really sad about this is that Jackson is like an old fire horse. The parade has passed him but he won’t go out to pasture, and he goes from what was a fairly decent career to becoming the trade joke of the entire league.
weaselpuppy
*Armando Gallaraga checks to see if Jim Joyce is still umping*
tradbrad
Dang, I was hoping he’d join team no. 15!
E munchy
Man….I wanted him to sign with a team he hadn’t already played for
OCTraveler
Jackson signing with a new team makes about as much sense as Joe Kelly and Pedro Baez still having their jobs
oldleftylong
Tigers getting pitching staff together for August 1.
Oxford Karma
Tigers ruining Edwin Jackson bingo. You already had him, that’s not how this works!!!
Chives
This might have sealed the first pick in the draft. We did it!!!!!! Yeeeeeeeessssss!
MLBTRS
Who says AA can’t make deals-this will go a long way toward getting the #1 pick. Nice going, Al!
Aaron Sapoznik
What MLB record is more likely to be broke, Joe Dimaggio’s 56-game hitting streak or Edwin Jackson “achievement” of pitching for 14 different teams and counting? lol