The Pirates are designating right-hander Andre Jackson for assignment, as first reported by Alex Stumpf of DK Pittsburgh Sports. Pittsburgh needed to create a 40-man roster spot after re-signing Andrew McCutchen yesterday. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (on X) that Jackson sought his release to pursue a deal with a team in Japan.
Pittsburgh acquired Jackson from the Dodgers in a minor trade in June. He’d been designated for assignment by Los Angeles leading up to that deal, which saw the Bucs send cash the other way. The 27-year-old started seven of 12 appearances down the stretch, his first rotation work at the major league level. Jackson turned in decent results, pitching to a 4.33 ERA across 43 2/3 innings. He struck hitters out at a solid 23% clip, although his 10.7% walk rate hinted at the control questions that have persisted for his entire career.
Jackson has long shown a combination of intriguing stuff and wobbly strike-throwing ability. He has pitched parts of three seasons at the MLB level, working to a 4.25 ERA through 82 2/3 frames. The Houston product has a less imposing 5.07 mark in 140 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level, where he has walked almost 15% of batters faced.
The control inconsistency meant that Jackson could have found himself on the roster bubble in 2024. This was his final minor league option season, so he’d have had to remain on Pittsburgh’s MLB team, be placed on waivers or traded. Given the chance that he’d have landed on the waiver wire, he apparently preferred to head to NPB and lock in some guaranteed money. He’ll technically land on waivers in the next few days but figures to go unclaimed and be released.
See ya. Thought he was gone already. Dime a dozen guy.
Yeah, ok. He’s probably better than the “starters” they signed this off season but he’s a “dime a dozen guy”.
He had trouble with consistency and getting through the lineup twice. Had hopes when he first hit the Pirates lineup this last season but was not consistent at all.
Yeah, agreed. As did Bido and a number of the other guys who did the “ reliever-start” shtick. Maybe that isn’t his forte but the kid throws hard. Just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Tired- I was somewhat surprised too.I thought that he did decently in a tough situation.Bido was more of a AAAA pitcher but even he had some strengths.
These guys both helped the Pirates when Shelton had to use the opener strategy.
I do regret that they now have neither for depth They could not be relied upon for full time starters but they were decent in long relief for at least a couple of innings.
We both remember when long relief meant 4 or 5 innings.
If he’s better than starters they signed then surely someone will trade a top 100 prospect for him. Perez got 8m and Jackson has tons of control. Can’t wait to see the trade return package.
You’re overvaluing the guys they’ve signed, Dream, but I figure you know this. I understand all about having variety on a staff and a junk ball/control minded pitcher may be nice to have.
But the Pirates have two of them now
Much more upside to Jackson. Shame there is no development guy within the organization that can work with and refine him
No development guy in any mlb organization that thought they could make him good. Dodgers know pitching as well as just about anyone. Pirates got him for cash considerations. From what I hear about Nutting it wasn’t a large amount of cash that another team couldn’t out bid.
Dodgers could not develop him and they drafted him in 2017……
I don’t understand comments like this, it just feels mean. I know you don’t know any of them personally, but they’re people and this is their career.
I have known many personally. Known one really well. Me. It does sound mean. Guess I am mean. I thought he would have been gone already. Forget all about him. They are a dime a dozen and the Pirates seem like they claim 10 to a dozen of them every year. If you aren’t 6 6 throwing 100 or not a 1st round talent you are likely going to have a tuff path to mlb stardom. He will likely find a home somewhere else or Pirates will keep him as minor league depth if he passes through waivers. Pirates will claim another guy just like him and if needed try to pass him through waivers.
I guess you are mean, which is fine. But you can keep it to yourself, the comment adds zero value.
Adds value to mlbtr web traffic. I am a company guy.
Dream- If you are 6’6” and throwing 100 mph you will fizzle out just like Nick Birdi with arm problems.
Your gems Perez and Gonzalez at least should last.The Pirate are not good enough to lose depth because that is what got them into very big trouble last year.
Yep no pitcher is safe. But 6 6 100mph gets you a longer leash. I said the dime a dozen thing before and it triggered a few people. So you know what that means? I will have to remember to use it more often. Nothing personal Mr Jackson. Just similar pitchers are always dfa. Pirates would never have a bullpen if they weren’t.
I love our 2 new lefties. If Nutting gave me 130m to spend I would have brought in those 2 and another under 10m gem. Tellez as well. Give me 50m to use on extensions. I got the pitching coming from the minors. Don’t need 3 4 5 year deals. And unless the rest of the league miraculously gets smart I will still be able to sign 1 year deals next year if need be.
The Pirates cannot exist if they are going to rely on 3 year deals for free agent pitchers.That being said I would have liked for them to sign a decent true #1 but the going rates were ridiculous.
They could have used Hauser from the Brewers for a strong #5.
Jackson is borderline on a decent team but your raft of young pitchers are not nearly ready yet and will not be for several years.
I am sure Mr Jackson does not follow this site and he would say No Worries to your negative outlook on him.The Pirates are known to let borderline guys go for overseas chances and that may very well have occurred here like it did with Thomas Hatch.
I have seen too many years where the Pirates run out of ML pitchers and have to rely on mediocre AAA pitchers to fill out innings.Both of these guys and even Bido would be helpful in that event which may very well happen again.
And the longer leash is true especially with the Pirates “brain thrust” but hopefully your two new buddies will prove them wrong.
Time will tell.
Don’t worry the will sign, trade for and claim more Bidos Jacksons.
Hauser would cost a decent enough pitching prospect. A 20 something borderline 30 guy. They could just sign a similar probably even better one for a few million more.
Keller
Hopefully trade or free agent
Perez
Gonzales
Priester
Contreras Ortiz Kranick Falter
Probably sign some minor league guys.
After mid April they will have a few rookies available.
After June 20 something they will have a half dozen of their best pitching prospects available.
Sometime after that Brubaker Borrows will be available.
July 31st trade deadline they can trade for any needed arms for Playoffs!!!!!
This team will be 10+ games out at deadline time and unless they make some incredible trade, it’s another 72-75 win year, at best
And while I had no great affection for Bido or Jackson, getting rid of the latter still is a surprise. The comment about him being in the Dodgers system since ‘17 and still not finding consistency is humorous. The Pirates used to have a guy who turned around pitchers. And given the number of pitchers who’ve recently Pittsburgh and have found great success elsewhere again only makes you wonder about the Pirates development department
I’ll be interested if the Pirates stud pitchers on the farm EVER amount to anything here
I’ve understood from the start of the off season the dilemma the Pirates are in: your surgically repaired arms are returning mid season, and your young guns are on the doorstep. Why spend big on starting pitching
So they took the cheap route again.
Lastly, Ortiz is an iffy guy. Contreras has major confidence issues. Kraynick is coming back from surgery and Falter is another two inning guy. Sheesh, this is your cavalry coming over the hill?
Lastly, coach Mora said it best about the idea of playoffs.
Hope springs eternal with you Dream.That is not necessarily a bad thing,but I’m not so sure that Perez and Gonzalez are saviors of the season to come.
Even if their hitting improves their defense will not.
The rest of the Division are getting better.
Or are you just doing what your pen name includes?
Ortiz with two pitches is just a reliever.
Falter is a decent swingman.
Contreras May have to become a reliever.
Kraynic is good but unproven and we do not know if he will rebound from a TJ.
And hopefully Priester gets it together and his failures do not portend those of others.
Keller isn’t exactly a consistent ace. And that’s all they have. They can’t afford to bring in 3 or 4 more sure bets that cost 15 to 30 million a year. Can afford 1 but after losing Endy Oviedo that probably got rid of that idea if they had it.
If the depth was any good they wouldn’t be interested in bringing in 3 new starters. Hope for good injury luck or someone improving. Prospects won’t be up until after super two. TJ guys maybe even longer.
Who else doesn’t deserve a spot on the 40 that is still there?
Everyone deserves their 40 man spot until you need to replace them with someone better. I would say CSN Falter Kranick Bae are on the list. Maybe Selby if they can’t improve him anymore but hard to give up on him.
I haven’t completely given up on Falter yet! They love Bae! The other 2 I hope get replaced with pitching. SP and RP
In a perfect world Cutch would sign a minor league deal and wait until guys could go on the 60 man before taking a 40 man spot. But really there will be guys just as good as the names above that will be available via minor trades and claims so doesn’t really matter.
But that then becomes a revolving door and hope springs eternal that they will find a gem.
It is difficult being a borderline ML player and they need a home for awhile to get their feet planted to find out what they can really do.
On the Fan this morning, they were talking about BC bringing Adam Frazier back and trading for Cease
Both scenarios are wishful thinking, of course. Why bring back Frazier? They’ve given up on their logjam of 2nd basemen? Just a placeholder until Termarr gets here? The kid is a couple years away
And why spend on Cease when your surgically repaired guys are coming back and guys like Solometo, Jones, Skenes and Chandler are on the doorstep
Grain of salt to their comments
I’d take the SP because he’s proven! Just not for an Archer’s ransom
Yankees signed Yamamoto
Funny, no one has reported that yet. Are you Yoshinobu or his agent? A Yanks Front office member?
Yes
Yes to what? Lol!
HAHAHAHAHA
Oh no!! The Dodgers win again!!
Except that they didn’t
This aged well, didn’t it?
My source was my dog. He died in 2011
Actually wish your dog would have been right. Thx for the laugh
Somewhat surprising given his stay with the big club last season. Had flashes where you would believe he could be an asset to their staff.
Optical illusion.
Huh. When he first came up, looked like he might be something.
I agree. For the Pirates, as a reliever, he had an ERA of under 3. Seems like there is something there. Hopefully he gets a chance with another team that can give him a little bit more of a runway.
Jason Mackey reported that he wanted to pursue an opportunity to be a Starter in Japan.
You could like field an entire team complete with a pitching staff over in Asia from just former Pirates alone
He wants to go to Japan. Was mentioned in the article.
Era was small sample size luck. He got hit hard and didn’t have enough k’s to make up for it.
I’m too tired and lazy to research this theory but when I watched him pitch I generally thought his control issues were largely because his curve moves too much if that makes sense. He’d spike them or be wide so if he wasn’t already ahead in the count he’d walk guys or paint himself into a corner having to throw over the heart of the plate and get tagged. If he can find a way to harness his curve it would be a weapon and significantly help out his bottom line results.
Yeah, agreed. It’s like when Keller goes through his usual tough stretch but in reverse. Relying on fastballs that too often stay dead red and no feel for his movement pitches
Where’s Searage when you need him?
Jackson had one out pitch that MLB hitters sit on because he can’t refine his off speed and movement pitches
Developing pitchers. What a concept
Maybe it was the beard.
A little shocked we dfad him. He’s gonna be a good reliever for someone. He couldn’t face the line up for a second time to save his life, but was lights out the first time through. Pirates probably only would have used him as a multi-inning reliever had it not been for the fact they were getting by with just two actual starting pitchers during the second half of last season.
Besides him giving up four runs, in some starts, he’s looked solid as a short term starter or a long relief arm, I’m shocked as well.
His splits are pretty crazy. Held batters to just a .151 BA and .487 OPS the first time through the order, then was knocked around for a .275 BA and 1.058 OPS the second time through.
I was a little shocked he was still on the team. Not that he is awful and has no potential but just because it’s late December.
I got a stat for you. .218 babip. As hard as he got hit it should be
350 or something.
We had no other starters, no Burrows or Brubaker, unless you wanted second half Roansy Contreras which was a disaster
It’s funny that the team had a good second half while relying on the 2-starter/spot starter/2/reliever games but got rid of two of the biggest parts of those reliever games and replaced them with soft throwing junk ball pitchers.
Don’t quite get the logic but then again, I’m not a GM, Dream or otherwise
I’m not a GM either, but it’s probably not a reliable strategy to go the entire year doing that. The Pirates got lucky they played about .500 ball in the second half using the 2-starter/2-reliever strategy as often as they did during the second half.
Plus, while sure they got rid of two of the players they used in that role, let’s be honest. Are Osvaldo Bido and Andre Jackson that irreplaceable? Guess they throw harder than either Perez or Gonzales, but I would rather want them in a rotation than bullpenning two games a week with Bido and Jackson.
When Bido isn’t even on the Pirates anymore, and no Cody Bolton.
That was his point, fre5. He was saying they are easily replaced
Mackey is reporting he wants to go to Japan.
He’s evolving. I did like the way he pitched and thought if they worked with him as a starter, he could have provided a good 6-7 innings a game. I think they got rid of someone they could have used.
They were working him as a starter. Could not get through the lineup a second time.
I know, but working an off season to develop as a starter is different than doing it mid season.
The dodgers could not do it in 6 off seasons…….
Chaim Breslow full throttle.
Matt Carpenter is a good fit for the Buccos. Cheap Veteran who can keep an eye out on the younger kids for the next two seasons. They could put him #5 in the batting order while every day 1B/DH.
Can’t hit any more, I don’t want to see him in a Pirates uniform.
I feel ya man but remember he is only one year removed from smoking the ball with an above 300 average for the “Big Apple” Yankees. He’s an even year crusher so expect him to be picked up by your Buccos!
Will be almost 2 years removed by the time the season starts. 2 years is a lot for a late 30s baseball player. He might have something left but the Pirates don’t have any dh playing time. Can he play 1b above average and everyday? If not there are better options.
619-Carpenter is done pure and simple.
He had a very lucky stretch with the Yankees but it is time to give it up.
The Pirates have no room for him anyway.
He may get a minor league invitation from someone but I doubt that he would take that at this stage.
Las Vegas Athletics- Utility Man (3B/1B/DH), (One year deal)?
They will still be in Oakland for a year or two I believe.
I know I just find no point in calling them “Oakland” anymore. (Sadly).
Five years ago, I’d completely agree with you. Now? Not so much
(See my above response to Robert).
Carpenter killed the Pirates with St.Louis. Mad respect for the guy. Tough out. Looked a lot different in the past couple seasons.
Please NO! Matt Carpenter is toast. I’m no fan of Rowdy but I definitely prefer him to Carpenter.
That’s what they have Cutch for and he can hit beyond his weight, Carpenter can’t
No relation to Jay Jackson.
Mariners pitching lab candidate?
He turned down an offer to play for the Giants before he released it was the NPB team.
L…o…ng over this joke by now.
This is one of the reasons that McCutcheon did not need to be rostered until the end of ST when the three pitchers and catcher are placed on the 60 day injured list.
That roster spot has become an important one.
McCutcheon doesn’t need rostered at all.
Jackson and a handful of others are no loss. They will replace them with similar players as roster spots become available. If they are anything of value another team will trade for them. If not they become non roster minor league depth.
I thought he was better than Selby but I guess they still see potential in him because he gets more strikeouts? Jackson was ok, you always need some guys who can pitch bulk innings, but seems like when I watched him pitch, he didn’t have great stuff or an out pitch, just put the ball in play and sometimes it was good or bad.
Bingo. Selby just needs some control. But if they don’t think they can get it from him he will be gone soon as well.
I want Mlodzinski to improve his control more than Selby but they’re similar enough that I’d be happy with either finding the plate more often. Either way I think the Bucs have a solid foundation for a really good bullpen and tons of years of control with Bednar, Holderman, Jose Hernandez, Borucki, Moreta, Mlod, and Selby. Could have some premium trade chips in the near future.
I’m sure Dream or mlb1225 will be able to answer but every time I see Mlodzinski, I say wow, why isn’t he a starter? Every time I see Priester, I say wow, he looks like a middle innings type
Selby is the prototypical closer
I guess I wonder whether they make judgments too quickly on guys on the farm.
They must believe his stuff plays better as a reliever and I agree. Surprising still because they are so desperate for starters they try to make lots of guys starters who should be relievers.
Selby is from the Pirates organization,and that matters.
He was decent his first several times in relief and then they started starting him.
He is young so they have not given up on him based on one half of a year.
Any news on the trade Mackey hinted at when Cutch signed?
He’ll be back in three years with the Las Vegas A’s
And the highest paid player on the A’s payroll too. See what I did there?
I liked rooting for the guy. Fringe player for sure, not too bad, but not a great player. Maybe he’ll do well overseas.