Cubs Sign Edwin Jackson
The Cubs have officially signed Edwin Jackson, the team announced. It's a four-year contract worth $52MM, and it does not include a no-trade clause. Jackson is a Legacy Sports Group client.
The Cubs have worked exceptionally aggressively to add free agent starting pitching this offseason. They already signed Scott Feldman, Scott Baker and Carlos Villanueva to join a rotation led by Matt Garza and Jeff Samardzija. Travis Wood also has considerable experience starting, but he might now project as a reliever.
None of the Cubs' additions will cost the team a future draft pick. The Nationals declined to make Jackson a qualifying offer after the season, which means he wasn’t linked to draft pick compensation. As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, Jackson's deal represents the largest free agent contract the Cubs have agreed to under GM Jed Hoyer.
Jackson joins his eighth MLB team and his seventh club since 2008. The 29-year-old spent the 2012 season with the Nationals, posting a 4.03 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 47.3% ground ball rate in 189 2/3 regular season innings. He reached the 180-inning plateau for the fifth consecutive season with an average fastball velocity of 93.5 mph.
Jackson joined Legacy Sports in July, leaving the Boras Corporation. Last winter Jackson obtained a one-year, $11MM contract to play in Washington. One year later, the Indians, Rangers and Padres were among the teams with interest in Jackson.
Jackson ranked seventh on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents. As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, Kyle Lohse and Shaun Marcum are among the top free agent starters remaining.
Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com first reported the agreement while Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com added details (Twitter links). Mike Axisa contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Checking In On Teams In Need Of Pitching
MLBTR’s Zach Links recently checked in on some of baseball’s lowest scoring offenses, noting that clubs such as the Dodgers and Mariners could score more often in 2013 thanks to some of their recent moves. Let’s now turn from run scoring to run prevention and check in on the teams that allowed the most runs in 2012.
Seven teams — the Rockies, Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Astros, Blue Jays and Cubs — posted team ERAs of 4.50 or more this past season, and each club allowed at least 750 runs in total. We'll take a look at those bottom seven teams and see what they've done to improve their pitching and defense so far this offseason. Team name links go to a summary of the moves on MLBTR's Transaction Tracker and 2012 runs allowed totals are in parentheses. For reference, the average MLB team allowed 701 runs this past season.
Rockies (890 runs allowed, 5.22 team ERA) – Jeff Francis, who led the 2012 Rockies with 113 innings pitched, re-signed on a one-year deal. Jorge De La Rosa exercised his player option and Colorado traded for reliever Wilton Lopez. Dan O’Dowd and Bill Geivett must do more to address their run prevention issues in the coming months, or they’ll risk a similarly poor showing in 2013.
Indians (845 runs allowed, 4.78 team ERA) – The Indians started the offseason by exercising Ubaldo Jimenez's 2013 option, and they haven't stopped there. GM Chris Antonetti acquired pitching prospect Trevor Bauer from Arizona along with relievers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw. They have since agreed to terms with Brett Myers, who projects as a starter in Cleveland.
Twins (832 runs allowed, 4.77 team ERA) – GM Terry Ryan has re-worked his team's pitching staff, trading for Alex Meyer and Vance Worley and signing Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey and Rich Harden. The Twins also re-signed a number of pitchers to minor league deals, creating depth. However, the Twins parted with Ben Revere and Denard Span to upgrade their pitching, which creates questions about Minnesota's outfield defense.
Red Sox (806 runs allowed, 4.70 team ERA) – The Red Sox upgraded their rotation by signing Ryan Dempster to a two-year contract. They've also addressed their bullpen, trading for Joel Hanrahan and signing Koji Uehara to a one-year contract. On defense, Shane Victorino will play right field, but defensive standout Jose Iglesias no longer projects as a starter and it looks as though Mike Napoli will replace the sure-handed combination of Adrian Gonzalez and James Loney at first base.
Astros (794 runs allowed, 4.56 team ERA) – The Astros have made some relatively low-profile changes to their pitching staff as they prepare for their first season in the American League. The club acquired Alex White for Wilton Lopez, claimed Philip Humber off of waivers, traded for John Ely, and signed reliever Jose Veras to a one-year deal. At this point it looks as though Houston will have trouble preventing runs again in 2013.
Blue Jays (784 runs allowed, 4.64 team ERA) – The Toronto front office overhauled a starting rotation that lacked depth in 2012. Defending Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey joins newcomers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle in a rotation that now looks like a strength instead of a major weakness. GM Alex Anthopoulos also traded for Esmil Rogers and added numerous others via waiver claims and minor league signings. The future of Darren Oliver still has to be determined, but other than that Toronto's pitching staff seems essentially set.
Cubs (759 runs allowed, 4.51 team ERA) - The Cubs have upgraded their rotation in a meaningful way, adding Edwin Jackson, Scott Feldman, Carlos Villanueva and Scott Baker on free agent contracts. They also retained free agent Shawn Camp and signed right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa and left-hander Hisanori Takahashi. Chicago’s pitching staff could be much stronger in 2013.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chicago Notes: Garza, Marcum, Bourjos, D’Backs
ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine opened up his latest online chat to reader proposals for trades that would send Justin Upton to the Cubs and Jason Kubel to the White Sox, which led to no shortage of creative ideas from fans. Amidst these plausible-to-very implausible trade proposals, Levine also shared a few hot stove items about both of Chicago's teams…
- The Blue Jays and Rangers have been Matt Garza's most ardent trade suitors and could again be interested in acquiring the right-hander if Garza shows he's in good health during Spring Training. I'd think that Texas might still be in the mix but Toronto's rotation seems set unless the Jays don't think Ricky Romero can return to form.
- If the Cubs have concerns that Garza won't be ready for Opening Day, Levine thinks the Cubs could try to sign a free agent starter like Shaun Marcum.
- Before the Cubs and Angels settled on the eventually-abandoned Carlos Marmol-for-Dan Haren trade, L.A. turned down the Cubs' offer of Marmol for Peter Bourjos and an infielder.
- The Cubs have "genuine concern about holding [their] fan base" given the team's recent struggles and rebuilding process, which Levine feels may have been the impetus for the Cubs' signing of Edwin Jackson and its pursuit of Anibal Sanchez.
- The Diamondbacks have interest in some White Sox prospects, which could be a hint towards a possible Kubel trade. We heard earlier this week that the Sox and D'Backs had discussed both Kubel and Upton in potential deals, though Kubel is the likelier of the two outfielders to be moved.
- While Gavin Floyd has again been the subject of trade rumors, Levine believes the White Sox won't look to deal Floyd until they're sure that John Danks is healthy.
Cubs Agree To Sign Hisanori Takahashi
The Cubs have agreed to sign Hisanori Takahashi to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). The veteran left-hander is a Wasserman Media Group client.
Takahashi, 37, pitched to a 5.54 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 50 1/3 relief innings for the Angels and Pirates last season. He owns a 3.97 ERA in 240 1/3 MLB innings, making 12 starts and 153 relief appearances. Takahashi has held big league lefties to a .238/.283/.381 batting line with a 4.14 K/BB.
Olney On Saunders, Hairston, Hanrahan, Howell
In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looks at the best second-tier and third-tier free agents remaining. Here's a look at the highlights..
- Joe Saunders is receiving interest from four clubs and the Orioles have ramped up their efforts to retain him. It seems Saunders would be in position to get more than the two-year, $15MM deal signed by Joe Blanton.
- Scott Hairston is looking for a significant raise over the $1.1MM he earned last season and he might wind up being too rich for the Mets' blood. Jonny Gomes is a similar player and got $10MM over two years from the Red Sox.
- Some teams see the significant increase in walks allowed last season by Joel Hanrahan as a red flag. After posting a 2.1 BB/9 rate in 2011, Hanrahan jumped to 5.4 in 2012. There is also some concern among rival evaluators that his diminished control is a sign of an arm issue. Hanrahan would argue that the control problems may have stemmed from the inconsistent save chances that a Bucs closer gets.
- Free agent reliever J.P. Howell should sign soon, perhaps with the Nationals. Other interested clubs include the Phillies, Cubs, Mariners, and Rangers.
- Travis Hafner would be a classic make-good guy to bring to spring training, but he won't fit all rosters because he can't play a position.
- Executives have reservations about Lance Berkman, including his health, overall shape, and motivation to play.
- Some have said that the Cubs overpaid for Edwin Jackson ($52MM over four years), but new financial restraints in the draft and international market have forced clubs to pay more. In short, the Cubs basically paid the going rate for a 29-year-old healthy pitcher of his caliber.
Minor Moves: Figueroa, McPherson, Bocock, Bush
Tonight’s minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (all links go to Twitter)..
- The Diamondbacks signed right-handers Nelson Figueroa, Alexis Lara, and Warner Madrigal, Eddy tweets. Figueroa, 38, spent 2012 with the Yankees and Red Sox‘s Triple-A affiliates. The veteran posted a 3.89 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 15 starts and ten relief appearances.
- The Dodgers signed journeyman third baseman Dallas McPherson, according to Eddy. The 32-year-old infielder has hit 144 HR at the Triple-A level for Pirates, White Sox, Athletics, Marlins, and Angels with a .276/.349/.572 batting line.
- The Nationals signed defensive-minded shortstop Brian Bocock to a minor league deal, Eddy tweets. Bocock spent last year with the Blue Jays in the minors.
- Right-hander Dave Bush will return from pitching in Korea to sign with the Blue Jays, Eddy reports. Toronto originally drafted him in the second-round in 2002.
- The Reds inked 7’1″ right-hander Loek Van Mil, whose is better than his numbers would indicate, in Eddy’s opinion.
- The White Sox signed utility man Andy Gonzalez, and right-hander Jeff Gray while re-signing catcher Damaso Espino and right-hander Matt Zaleski.
- The Cubs signed right-handers Andrew Carpenter and Cory Wade plus first baseman Brad Nelson to minor league deals. Wade elected free agency from the Blue Jays in late November.
- The Giants signed outfielder Cole Gillespie, a 28-year-old right-handed hitter with a career .390 OBP in Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and Brewers.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Miller, Beato, Nunez, Pearce
The latest outright assignments from around MLB…
- The Astros outrighted infielder Brandon Laird and outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin to Triple-A after the players cleared waivers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).
- The Yankees announced that they outrighted right-hander Jim Miller to Triple-A. They had designated him for assignment two days ago to create 40-man roster space for Ichiro Suzuki.
- The Red Sox outrighted Pedro Beato to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox designated the right-hander for assignment two days ago to create roster space for Ryan Dempster.
- The Diamondbacks outrighted shortstop Gustavo Nunez to Detroit's Triple-A affiliate, the Tigers announced. Nunez, a 2011 Rule 5 Draft selection, spent the 2012 season on the Pirates' disabled list recovering from right ankle surgery. The Diamondbacks claimed him off of waivers from Pittsburgh on October 26th before returning him to Detroit today.
- The Orioles announced that they outrighted outfielder Steve Pearce to Triple-A. The club now has one open 40-man roster spot.
- The Cubs announced that they outrighted Gerardo Concepcion to Class A Kane County after the left-hander cleared waivers. Chicago's 40-man roster now includes 39 players.
- The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted right-hander Mickey Storey to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto had claimed Storey off of waivers earlier in the week.
Cubs To Sign Nate Schierholtz
The Cubs agreed to a one-year deal with outfielder Nate Schierholtz, the team announced. The deal is worth $2.25MM with $500K in incentives, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, who first reported the agreement. Schierholtz, 29 in February, was non-tendered by the Phillies last month. He's represented by Lapa/Leventhal.
Schierholtz hit .257/.321/.407 in 269 plate appearances for the Giants and Phillies this year, playing mostly right field. He could assume that position for the Cubs, as they could use David DeJesus in center field. Schierholtz has less than five years of Major League service time, so the Cubs will have the opportunity to retain him for 2014 as an arbitration eligible player if he has a solid campaign. He's generally regarded as a strong defender, and the Cubs are in a position to give him 500 big league plate appearances for the first time in his career. He was popular at the Winter Meetings, generating interest from the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Orioles, and Mets, according to Crasnick. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says Schierholtz even turned down a two-year offer in the $5MM range.
With Schierholtz, the Cubs have committed $90.05MM to nine free agents. They have also agreed to sign Kyuji Fujikawa, Scott Feldman, Scott Baker, Dioner Navarro, Shawn Camp, Ian Stewart, Carlos Villanueva and Edwin Jackson.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Presswire.
Giants Claim Sandy Rosario
Sandy Rosario's offseason journey continued today, as the Giants claimed the right-hander off of waivers from the Cubs, Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter).
Rosario’s offseason began when the Red Sox claimed him from the Marlins on October 17th. Boston then traded him to Oakland for a player to be named later or cash considerations on November 28th. The A's then designated Rosario for assignment at which point the Red Sox claimed him a second time. His stay in Boston didn’t last long, however; the Cubs claimed him on December 12th.
Rosario, 27, pitched in four games for this year's Marlins team, but spent most of the season in the minor leagues. He posted a 1.99 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 31 2/3 total innings for three of Miami's affiliates.
Rangers Claim Jeff Beliveau
The Rangers have claimed Jeff Beliveau off of waivers from the Cubs, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The Cubs designated the left-hander for assignment four days ago to create 40-man roster space for Ian Stewart.
Beliveau, 25, made his MLB debut this past season, appearing in 22 games. He posted a 4.58 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 17 2/3 innings. The Cubs originally selected Beliveau in the 18th round of the 2008 draft.