Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Edwin Jackson

NL East Links: Halladay, Marlins, Jackson, Braves

By | at

Roy Halladay's season (and Phillies tenure) could be ended by his upcoming shoulder surgery, and the veteran right-hander took it upon himself to apologize to Phillie fans before Friday's game.  "You feel an obligation to the organization, to your teammates, to the fans to try to go out and pitch. Especially on a competitive team that sells out. For me, that was a big factor," Halladay told reporters (including Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer).  Halladay hopes to return to the mound in three months though it remains to been how the 36-year-old will respond to the surgery.

Here's the latest from around the division…

  • The Marlins' policy against no-trade clauses isn't an insurmountable obstacle to the team's business, opines agent Scott Boras.  "I think the no trade policy does affect franchise players. But the number of franchise players in free agency are pretty rare," Boras told reporters (including Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald).  "The Marlins in my mind you've got a number of players who like the geographical dynamic of what Miami offers. You've got a footprint now. It's not a wish and a hope."
  • B
    Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fish_bytes/2013/05/boras-set-to-watch-his-client-joe-fez-face-the-dodgers.html#storylink=cpy
  • The Marlins' injury problems have forced the team to promote prospects like Jose Fernandez, Derek Dietrich and Marcell Ozuna to the Major Leagues earlier than expected, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes.  "I don't know if it messes up the plan," president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "You've got to do what you've got to do….Right now, we're so buckled by the amount of injuries to key players.  I don't know if we've taken a step back to say, 'OK, is this going to mess up the master plan?' We're trying to make sure Red [manager Mike Redmond] has 25 guys every day, which has been tough."
  • Edwin Jackson picked up his first win of the season in the Cubs' 8-2 victory over the Nationals today.  Jackson told James Wagner of the Washington Post that he was interested in returning to the Nats last year but the team passed on negotiations after he turned down their one-year qualifying offer.  Jackson ended up finding long-term security in the form of a four-year, $52MM deal with the Cubs.
  • With Brian McCann back from the DL and Evan Gattis hitting well, the Braves could look to trade catcher Gerald Laird, speculates MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Since this could be McCann's last season in Atlanta, however, Bowman thinks the Braves will keep Laird as a veteran mentor to Gattis in 2014.
  • Some other items about the Phillies, Nationals and Mets were covered earlier today by MLBTR's Jeff Todd in an edition of National League Notes.

Cubs Notes: Feldman, Draft, Marmol, Stewart, Jackson

By | at

The Cubs are 12-20 on the season, good for the second-worst record in the National League.  On the plus side, four of their five starting pitchers have performed well, and the team has shown surprising power in the early going.  The latest on the North Siders:

  • Scott Feldman is a name to keep in mind leading up to the trade deadline and in free agency after the season, writes ESPN's Buster Olney, after the 30-year-old pitched seven strong innings to defeat his former Rangers teammates last night.  Feldman has a 2.70 ERA through his first six starts, but should his peripheral stats remain steady, SIERA suggests something around 4.30 would be a better bet moving forward. 
  • The Cubs have not missed a start from college righties Mark Appel or Jonathan Gray, but they have expanded their search beyond those two, GM Jed Hoyer told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM yesterday.  The Cubs draft second overall next month, and despite Hoyer's lip service, they're widely expected to take Appel or Gray after the Astros pick.
  • Asked by reporters why reliever Carlos Marmol continues to get chances, Hoyer instead offered that Marmol has been "ridden hard by a number of managers here" as an explanation for the former closer's struggles (via Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com).  Given his $9.8MM guaranteed salary, the Cubs are presumably reluctant to release Marmol.
  • Asked whether $52MM man Edwin Jackson is a candidate for the bullpen when Matt Garza returns, Hoyer ducked the question, noting that surplus starting pitching "always seems to take care of itself and we're a ways away from having to deal with that kind of issue."  Rogers feels that allowing Jackson to stay in the rotation due to his contract, at the expense of a better-performing starter, sends a poor message to the team.  I wonder, though, what kind of message would be sent to future free agents if the Cubs make a large four-year commitment to a pitcher and demote him to the bullpen after fewer than ten starts.  Regarding Hoyer's comment, the Cubs are really only two healthy weeks away from having to deal with the rotation surplus, as Garza should be ready to return after two more rehab starts.
  • "An apparent lack of commitment" is behind Ian Stewart taking his allowed 72 hours to report to the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa team on his optional assignment, since Stewart had already been playing with the club on his rehab assignment, opines Rogers.  Stewart, earning $2MM this year, recently finished rehabbing a left quad injury.  UPDATE: Stewart did report back with Iowa yesterday, tweets Rogers.
  • Padres third baseman Chase Headley "would be perfect for the Cubs," suggests Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Cubs have three premium position player prospects in Javier Baez, Albert Almora, and Jorge Soler, and for me it's difficult to picture a Headley trade without one of them and equally difficult to imagine Hoyer and Theo Epstein parting with one during a non-contending season.

Central Notes: Kazmir, Jackson, Twins

By | at

Earlier today, the Indians granted Ben Francisco his unconditional release and added Rich Hill to the 40-man roster, meaning Hill is likely to break camp as a member of the Tribe's bullpen in the mind of MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Here's some more on the Indians and other Central division teams…

  • Indians non-roster invitee Scott Kazmir feels that he's pitched well enough to earn the team's fifth starter role, according to Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore (link includes video interview with Kazmir). The 29-year-old Kazmir has pitched in just one game since 2010 but told reporters that each time he was released allowed him to step back and examine what he needed to improve on to get back to his previous levels. Bastian tweets that between the Cactus League and "B" games, Kazmir has fired 11 scoreless innings with a 13-to-2 K/BB ratio.
  • J.J. Stankevitz of CSNChicago.com writes that the trade to the White Sox was a turning point in the career of Edwin Jackson, who benefited from pitching coach Don Cooper's tutelage. Jackson tells Stankevitz that he isn't fazed by the fact that the Cubs will be his seventh team since 2008. He's likely to keep that uniform for awhile, having signed a four-year, $52MM contract this offseason.
  • The money to be saved by delaying Aaron Hicks' service time is the "only justifiable reason" to keep him from opening the season as the Twins' center fielder in the eyes of 1500 ESPN's Phil Mackey. In a separate piece, Mackey notes that Darin Mastroianni is still pushing for the job, and manager Ron Gardenhire says no decision has been reached. Our own Ben Nicholson-Smith examined the service time considerations for Hicks and other members of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list late last month.

Pitching Notes: Price, Valverde, Jackson

By | at

We heard earlier today that the Yankees are eyeing pitching depth, but not Kyle Lohse. Here are some more pitching-themed notes from around MLB…

  • David Price recently said he’d be hesitant to sign a long-term deal with the Yankees because of their facial hair policy. However, the left-hander said today that he wouldn’t rule out playing for New York at some point, Newsday’s David Lennon reports (Twitter links). No doubt realizing his leverage will increase if the Yankees are interested, Price said he might not even have a beard by the time he hits free agency.
  • The Tigers haven’t considered re-signing Jose Valverde for a moment, Lynn Henning of the Detroit News reports (on Twitter). The reliever will have the chance to boost his free agent stock in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
  • Edwin Jackson, one of the top free agent pitchers of the 2012-13 offseason, said his choice came down to the Cubs and Indians, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports. The Indians were aggressive in free agency this winter, signing Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn while pursuing others such as Jackson. The right-hander pitched on a one-year deal in 2012 and is pleased to have signed a multiyear deal this time. “It’s always a good feeling to have security," he said.

Quick Hits: D’Backs, Wilson, Braves, Beane, Cubs

By | at

The Diamondbacks had insisted on receiving Major League-ready talent in any trade for Justin Upton, but were willing to accept prospects in last week's proposed deal with the Mariners that Upton blocked with his no-trade clause.  D'Backs GM Kevin Towers tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the change in philosophy was due to the rising cost of free agents and the fact that the Snakes had added outfield depth in Cody Ross.

"It’s easier to do more of a prospect-driven deal than before. To me, it would have to be the right prospects," Towers said.  "We’re targeting people’s best prospects and upper-level guys that we think are close — if not (major league-ready) this year, then next year.”

Some more news from around baseball…

  • The Diamondbacks seem intent on trading Upton, leaving MLB.com's Matthew Leach puzzled at why the club would move a talented young player on a controllable contract.
  • The Mets haven't given up on the possibility of offering Brian Wilson a Major League contract, reports Newsday's Marc Carig (Twitter link).  We heard earlier today that the Mets were unimpressed when they watched Wilson throw over the weekend.
  • The Braves have one of the least-profitable TV deals in baseball but team CEO Terry McGuirk says that low broadcasting revenues aren't hampering how the club does business, McGuirk tells David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  The Braves have 14 years left on their current TV deal, which McGuirk describes as “iron-clad."
  • Athletics GM Billy Beane said it was difficult to move a highly-regarded pitching prospect like A.J. Cole, CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt reports. However, the GM said it had to be done to help the A's contend in 2013.  "We're shifting all of our focus on the Major League club and trying to take as much advantage as we can of the opportunity we have," Beane said.
  • Beane said he prepared to go with a platoon of Derek Norris and George Kottaras behind the plate, MLB.com's Jane Lee reports (Twitter links).  "Only if it was John Jaso" would he have made a move to improve Oakland's catching.  Beane said he had been trying to acquire Jaso from the Mariners over the last couple of months.
  • Buster Posey tops the list of baseball's best 25-year-old players, according to ESPN's Keith Law (ESPN Insider subscription req'd).
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein told reporters (including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune) that Edwin Jackson's age and track record made the team comfortable enough to sign him to a big free agent contract. 
  • In another item from Sullivan, Epstein said that he expects the Cubs to contend in 2013 despite the fact that they're still ostensibly rebuilding.  "Otherwise, there’s no reason to show up or build a team,” Epstein said. “It’s postseason or bust every year. That’s what our goal is."

Edwin Jackson Fits Cubs’ Short, Long-Term Needs

By | at

The Cubs finalized the largest free agent deal of the Theo Epstein-Jed Hoyer regime today, a four-year, $52MM contract for 29-year-old righty Edwin Jackson.  The expenditure was the sixth-largest for any free agent this year, and the team's parallel pursuits of Jackson and Anibal Sanchez surprised those who thought the club would again tread lightly in free agency as part of a long-term rebuilding plan.  Cubs GM Jed Hoyer explained the rationale behind the signing with his opening remarks at Jackson's press conference:

"He pitched all of last year at 28 years old, he's been incredibly durable, had some really excellent seasons during his time in the big leagues, and we actually think his best days are ahead of him.  He fits very well on the team in 2013, but we think he fits even better going forward as a core member of what we're trying to build here in Chicago.  His talent, his age, and everything we learned about him as a teammate were all reasons we were excited to add him to the roster, and we're excited to go forward with Edwin as a big part of our club."  Hoyer made it clear that every individual season is "precious," and they're trying to build a winner every year.

Having played for seven teams in his career, Jackson has found some measure of stability with the four-year deal.  He told reporters, "It definitely feels great.  I think the most assuring part is that you have the chance to relax and know that you're going to be somewhere for a while and you don't have to feel like you have to prove yourself every year.  I think it's definitely going to help to just go out and have fun and not have to worry about anything else."  Jackson will finalize another long-term deal on Saturday, as he and fiancée Erika Zanders will be tying the knot.

Jackson had an explanation as to why he's played for so many teams, saying with a smile, "I think everyone likes me."  He never saw the movement as a negative; instead, all the trades made him feel wanted.  Hoyer offered another theory, noting, "a lot of his recent stops have been due to the inability to sign him to an extension."  Prior to this contract, Jackson had only signed one multiyear deal, a two-year pact covering only his final arbitration years.  Not coincidentally, Jackson was represented by the Boras Corporation for his previous contracts, an agency he dropped last summer for Legacy Sports Group.  Jackson preferred not to comment on his reason for leaving Boras, saying only that he had "no hard feelings."  Boras pushed Jackson to take a one-year, $11MM deal with the Nationals last February rather than a reported three-year offer in the $30MM range from the Pirates, a decision that ultimately paid off when the Cubs opened their checkbook.

Cubs Sign Edwin Jackson

By | at

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.

Edwin Jackson - Nationals (PW)

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.

Quick Hits: Saunders, Cubs, Soriano, Gonzalez

By | at

The Orioles would like to re-sign Joe Saunders and have continued talks with him, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  They'll have plenty of competition for the left-hander, however, as he is drawing high interest from three other clubs.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • On today’s edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the Mariners–Angels trade, the Cubs’ new-look rotation, and some recent trade rumors.
  • The Dodgers are still kicking the tires on Joel Hanrahan of the Pirates and free agent Brian Wilson as they look to deepen their bullpen, but they aren't in the mix for Rafael Soriano, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Nationals continue to talk to Mike Gonzalez about returning and the Reds are also in pursuit, Bowden tweets.
  • Sources tell Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter) that the Rangers were never serious bidders for Edwin Jackson.  The right-hander signed a four-year, $52MM contract with the Cubs earlier today.
  • Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik has landed a bigger bat for the middle of his lineup, but that doesn't mean Seattle is done with its roster maneuverings, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com.  The Mariners still have financial flexibility since they should several million dollars in the difference between what Kendrys Morales ($4.8MM) will earn compared to Jason Vargas ($7.4MM) in their final year of arbitration eligibility.  
  • Dexter Fowler told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that Rockies General Manager Bill Geivett told him that it would take a lot in return for them to deal him to the Braves.  Atlanta is targeting Fowler along with Emilio Bonifacio and other outfield options.

Strong Progress For Cubs, Edwin Jackson

By | at

The Cubs are the frontrunners for free agent right-hander Edwin Jackson, but as of last night they weren't the only team pursuing the Legacy Sports Group client. The Indians were still talking with Jackson yesterday, and it wasn’t long ago that the Rangers and Padres had serious interest, too. The bidding is up to $50MM for Jackson, who turned 29 in September. Here are the latest Jackson-related rumors, with the most recent updates up top…

  • The Cubs have made "strong progress" on a four-year, $52MM deal with Jackson, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). Jackson is just about off of the board, Olney adds.

Cubs Front-Runner For Edwin Jackson

By | at

10:03pm: Bowden reports (on Twitter) that the Cubs are now the front-runner for Jackson. He says a four-year deal worth approximately $52MM is in the ballpark.

WEDNESDAY, 7:31pm: The Indians are in talks with Jackson and the right-hander should get at least four years, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears the bidding is up to $50MM (Twitter link). Rosenthal adds that while Cleveland also has interest in Nick Swisher, they probably can't afford both players.

TUESDAY: The market for free agent starter Edwin Jackson has narrowed to the Cubs and Rangers, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden (Twitter link). The Padres dropped out of the running for Jackson since the team didn't want to make a four-year commitment to the right-hander. The Angels, Twins, Blue Jays and Brewers have also been rumored to be interested in Jackson at various points this offseason.

Jackson represents a backup plan for both Chicago and Texas, as the two teams were recently outbid for other major free agent starters (Anibal Sanchez and Zack Greinke, respectively). In the Cubs' case, their pursuit of Jackson represents another sign that the team is prepared to spend significant money in on free agent pitching and their willingness to spend $77MM for Sanchez wasn't just a singular offer for a particular player, though Jackson's eventual deal will be much less than $77MM.

While Jackson isn't the ace-level starter that the Rangers were looking for in Greinke, Jackson would still be a very solid innings-eating addition to a rotation that already includes Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis. Acquiring Jackson would mean that Texas could keep Alexi Ogando and Martin Perez in the bullpen or the minors as rotation depth.

We heard last week that the Padres were "strongly pursuing" Jackson but FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported that San Diego weren't prepared to offer a $12-$13MM average annual salary or a commitment of four or five years. As MLB.com's Corey Brock puts it, Padres GM Josh Byrnes is "unwilling to go [as long as] four years on anyone." The Friars have signed Jason Marquis to a one-year contract this winter and have been connected to such pitchers as Shaun Marcum, Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top