Toronto Blue Jays Acquire Edwin Jackson From Oakland A’s

Jay Blue

 

With their pitching in disarray and needing to find people to throw some innings at the major league level, the Toronto Blue Jays have traded for Edwin Jackson from the Oakland A’s for cash considerations.

 


 

Jackson, 35, has been pitching in the major leagues since making his debut back in 2003 with the Los Angeles Dodgers but hadn’t really been effective since 2015 until a renaissance last year with Oakland. Despite posting a 3.33 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 92 innings with Oakland in 2018, he didn’t get a contract in 2019 until the A’s offered him a minor league deal in April. Jackson made one start in Advanced-A with Stockton, striking out nine without walking anyone but has struggled in two starts with Las Vegas, allowing nine runs in 9 2/3 innings, striking out 10 but walking seven.

 

 

The Blue Jays didn’t expect to have to go this deep into the pitching pool when they started the season. While Sean Reid-Foley hasn’t grabbed a spot in the rotation after a rough spring and start to the season, Trent Thornton and Thomas Pannone are both already in the major leagues with the club loathe to move Sam Gaviglio out of the long relief role he’s currently in. With Matt Shoemaker down for the season because of a knee injury and Ryan Borucki out until at least the end of May, the Blue Jays were down two spots in the starting rotation (going with a four-man rotation since April) but now with Clay Buchholz going on the IL with a shoulder injury and no one ready to step up from Buffalo, the Blue Jays were forced to swing a trade to get Jackson.

Jackson offers the Blue Jays another pitcher to log some innings and keep the Jays from having to use Pannone in a starter’s role (one in which he has struggled this year) or move Sam Gaviglio over to starting, which he did through most of his career but he’s been so dominant out of the ‘pen that I think the club wants to keep him doing what he’s been doing.

What do you think of the trade for Edwin Jackson?

 

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