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.