I would hate to have pitcher Edwin Jackson's moving
expenses.
Jackson was part of the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays which shocked the
baseball world by winning its first American League pennant.
However, the emergence of David Price rendered Jackson
expendable and in December 2008 the Rays traded Jackson to the
Detroit Tigers for outfielder Matt Joyce. It took some
time for Joyce to acclimatize to the indoors environs of
Tropicana Field but in 2011 he was named to the
AL All-Star Team.
Meanwhile Jackson had a good season with the Tigers in 2009
winning 13 games. But almost a year to the day the Tigers traded
for Jackson they decided to part ways with him and sent him to
the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three team trade which included the
New York Yankees. Indeed, this was the deal in which
the Yankees acquired Tigers centerfielder Curtis Granderson.
This is the same Curtis Granderson who has thus far hit 28 home
runs for the Bronx Bombers so far this season. In exchange for
Jackson, the Tigers obtained two pitchers - Max Scherzer and Daniel
Schlereth. While Schlereth has not quite mastered the strike zone
and currently finds himself
toiling with the Toledo Mudhens, Scherzer (who
turns 27 today) has established himself as one of the best
young pitchers in the AL. He is currently 11-5 with the AL Central
leading Tigers and should attain a career high in victories this
season.
It isn't to say that Jackson's time with the
D'Backs wasn't memorable. On June 25, 2010, Jackson returned
to his old stomping grounds in St. Petersburg and no-hit the
Tampa Bay Rays. Granted, he walked eight batters. But it was a
no-hitter just the same. Yet five weeks later, the D'Backs traded
Jackson to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Daniel Hudson. Just as
Joyce is thriving with the Rays and Scherzer is sizzling in
Detroit, Hudson has
excelled in Phoenix thus far this season with a 10-6 record.
Hudson is making for a great one-two punch with Ian Kennedy (who
came to Arizona in the earlier Jackson trade via New York.)
As for Jackson, he went 4-2 with a respectable 3.24 ERA in 11
starts for a so-so White Sox team down the stretch last season. In
19 starts for the Chisox in 2011, Jackson went 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA.
Not great but far from terrible. On Saturday, Jackson would have
been a member of the White Sox for an entire calendar year. But
today the White Sox dealt Jackson along with utility player Mark
Teahen to the Toronto Blue Jays for veteran reliever Jason Frasor
and starting pitcher Zach Stewart. My guess is that Stewart will
start winning some ballgames on the South Side of Chicago.
But before Jackson could make his way to the Canadian border,
the Jays turned around and traded him for the second time in one
day. Jackson is now
a member of the St. Louis Cardinals along with outfielder Corey
Patterson as well as relievers Mark Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel.
Jackson and Dotel could share notes. The Cardinals will be the
12th team with whom Dotel has donned a big league uniform.
Mike Morgan, Ron Villone and Matt Stairs have also
played for twelve big league teams each.
It should be noted the Blue Jays get outfielder Colby Rasmus who
has
less than pleasant memories playing under Tony LaRussa. The
Jays also get pitchers P.J. Walters, Brian Tallet and Trever
Miller. Interestingly, this will be the second time both Tallet and
Miller have been with the Jays.
So the Cardinals are Jackson's sixth big league club (including
the five minutes he spent with the Jays) in less than three years.
Jackson joins a Cardinals team that is currently in first place in
the NL Central and is now part of starting rotation in St. Louis
which includes Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook and
Kyle Lohse. But even if the Cards should win the World Series
methinks Jackson will be pitching elsewhere in 2012. He is a free
agent at the end of the season.
I guess you could call him Travelin' Edwin Jackson.
Wayne | 7.27.11 @ 6:28PM
Remember Suitcase Simpson?
air max 95| 7.28.11 @ 5:30AM
thank you ,i like this post