6:26pm: The deal is now official, with the Cubs making an announcement.
6:20pm: Chicago will cover $1MM of Jackson’s remaining salary, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. The Mariners will pay the $430K or so of obligations otherwise left on his deal.
5:04pm: The Cubs have agreed to acquire outfielder Austin Jackson from the Mariners, Shannon Drayer of 710 AM ESPN in Seattle reports (Twitter link). Jackson had reportedly cleared revocable trade waivers, and by adding him today, the Cubs will have the option of utilizing him on their post-season roster.
A player to be named later and a $211,100 international signing slot will reportedly head to Seattle in the deal. Chicago also obtains cash to offset some of the remainder of Jackson’s $7.7MM annual salary.
Already set to hit free agency after the season, Jackson will end his disappointing tenure in Seattle earlier than had been planned. He was acquired with high hopes last summer in the three-team David Price deal, with the Mariners sending Nick Franklin to the Rays to add the center fielder from the Tigers. Needless to say, things have not worked out for the player or the team.
At the time, Jackson was putting up slightly-above-average offensive numbers in Detroit. But he’s been significantly worse with the M’s, slashing just .257/.297/.343 over 684 plate appearances between this year and last. Jackson has contributed only eight home runs in that span as his power has fallen off, and he’s been caught 11 times on steal attempts while successfully taking 26 bags.
Jackson remains an approximately league-average defender up the middle. And at just 28 years of age, he still holds at least some promise of more given his quality early-career production. Between 2010 and 2013, Jackson racked up 18.9 rWAR with a .278/.344/.416 cumulative slash, a solid power/speed mix, and defensive ratings that ranged from good to excellent.
Mariners interim GM Jeff Kingston explained that there was relatively little interest in the veteran this month, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times notes on Twitter. While there had been an outside chance that the club would hold onto Jackson and make him a qualifying offer, that is no longer an option with the mid-season trade. That seemed at least plausible given Jackson’s age, but it seems that Seattle decided against the risky move and chose instead to get what it could for him now.
For Chicago, Jackson represents another right-handed-hitting outfield option as Jorge Soler deals with an oblique injury, though it’s worth noting that he traditionally carries fairly neutral platoon splits. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Jackson can play in center, but he seems unlikely to take much time from the switch-hitting Dexter Fowler, who traditionally performs better against left-handed pitching. While Jackson is still owed about $1.43MM of salary this year, at least some of that obligation will remain Seattle’s responsibility.
MLB.com’s Greg Johns first suggested an international slot may be involved (via Twitter), as to which Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (also via Twitter) provided details. Divish first reported that a PTBNL was part of the return (on Twitter) provided details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wow! Now Austin Jackson and fellow 2016 potential free agent Dexter Fowler can audition for next season’s starting CF position as well as help the Cubs compete for a postseason birth and a possible playoff run in September and October.
Fowler will command too much and too many years for the Cubs to be in on him…
Probably. The same might also be said of Jackson who possesses a similar skill set to Fowler and is also an impending free agent this offseason.
Clearly, the Cubs will have a need for a CF in 2016 with prospect Albert Almora likely at least a year away from consideration. The notion of moving Kris Bryant to CF might prove to be a disaster defensively with Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler penciled in as the regular corner outfielders.
Aside from needing a proficient defensive MLB center fielder, the ideal scenario would also have the Cubs filling the lead-off role in their lineup with their 2016 choice at the position. Both Fowler and Jackson could provide an option in free agency to do both. There may be a better solution once the FA market is fully disclosed or via the trade route, but both Fowler and Jackson are with the Cubs through the remainder of the season and their performance could certainly influence any decision the Cubs eventually pursue.
Better Austin Jackson that Matt Caesar salad.
Good player to pick up, post season experience, played with a lot of great players, hopefully in the mood to mentor and give it his all for the last month of the season.
Do you like Denorfia in right field or off the bench…
Hard to say at this point. Both the right-handed hitting Jackson and the switch-hitting Fowler have somewhat better platoon spits versus left-handed pitching. Joe Maddon loves platooning and matching up with the opponents pitching each game. He will now have an extra option with Jackson, who will also be the best defensive OF on the current 25-man active roster and can be a late game replacement on days he does not start.
A million for Austin Jackson seems like an overpay.
Could be a very valuable piece off the bench and spot starting down the stretch and into the playoffs. Never found his groove in Seattle but I think there’s still some left in the tank
At 28 years old, there ought to be plenty “left in the tank” for Austin Jackson. Joe Maddon just might be the perfect manager to get the impending free agent to finally fulfill his vast potential, at least in September and October.
Both players the Mariners traded for in last years deadline are now playing for the Cubs
Only 2 of the 3 are. Kendrys Morales.
Actually both Chris Denorfia and Austin Jackson were acquired on July 31st while Kendrys Morales was traded for on July 24th, 2014. Let’s call it a draw based on a technicality. (lol)
None of the three got them to the post season last year
True, but the Cubs are in a far better situation to achieve the postseason this late in the 2015 season than the Mariners were at the July 31st trade deadline last year.
Is he active yet? He should be playing right field right now. Give him edwin Jackson old uni. Out bryant at third like he should be
It’s too bad he missed the Cubs pajama party though.
Yeah. Perhaps the Cubs will through another one later this month once the roster is fully expanded following the end of the minor league regular season and playoffs. Can’t have too many participants in a PJ party and what better way is there to indoctrinate young prospects into a MLB atmosphere? (lol)