Edwin Jackson

The veteran somewhat surprisingly stuck around the major leagues for another season, starting 13 games for the Nationals and appearing in three out of the bullpen for the Orioles. Jackson had a few decent outings with Washington but finished the year with a 5.21 ERA, and his 6.14 FIP suggests it could have been a lot worse. His 17.7 percent strikeout rate was his highest since 2014, but was still well below average, while his 37 percent groundball rate was his lowest since 2005. Jackson will look to latch on with another team this offseason and fight for a fifth-starter role, but he's unlikely to gain much relevance even if he does earn a job. He's now 34 years old and has not been a worthwhile option in mixed formats in many years.

The Padres turned to Jackson for 13 starts in 2016 and the results included 73.1 innings of replacement level work. With inflated ratios backed by poor control, Jackson's days as a starter are likely over. He spent all of 2015 in the bullpen during his time with the Cubs and Braves, but even his 3.07 ERA was backed by lackluster peripherals and his skills still pointed to a minimum-leverage role. Now 33 years old, Jackson has suited up for 11 different MLB clubs, and it's no guarantee that he'll be entrusted to handle innings as he lost velocity on each of his offerings last season. Additionally, 2016 marked the final year of a four-year, $52 million contract signed with the Cubs prior to the 2013 season, so Jackson's incentive to continue his big league career will be significantly reduced at this point as he'll likely be forced to take a minor league deal if he latches on somewhere to compete for a job in 2017.

Jackson, who still has two years remaining on the four-year contract he signed two years ago, has been one of the worst pitchers in the National League the last two seasons. While the Cubs have been fantastic at amassing quality players and either flipping or developing them, Jackson and his contract have been the biggest disaster of the Theo Epstein era. While Jackson's BABIP and strand rate have contributed to his poor 2014 numbers, his 4.52 FIP isn't exactly anything you want on your fantasy team either. Pitchers who give up a lot of walks, hits, and home runs are not long for any rotation. Don't be surprised if the Cubs stick him in middle relief, if they even hold onto him at all.

The Cubs inexplicably threw $52 million at Jackson last year, giving him a four-year contract when he'd shown himself to be an average starting pitcher at best. The first year of the contract was a disaster, as he lost a league-high 18 games and finished with his highest ERA since 2007, and highest WHIP since 2008. On the plus side, Jackson has topped 160 innings seven years in a row, so in leagues that count innings and strikeouts, he does have a little value. The Cubs are the eighth team in his nine-year career, but he's probably untradeable right now, so expect him to be in their rotation again in 2014.

On the surface Jackson had a very Jackson-like season: he won double-digit games, had an ERA around 4.00 and was maddeningly inconsistent. There were some further signs of development though, as both his K/9 (8.0) and BB/9 (2.8) rates were career bests, and it is still very easy to convince yourself that any year now he is going to put it all together. On the other hand, he lost one full mph off his fastball in 2012, and while he is hardly old at 29, it is possible that despite all his talent we might have already seen the best of him. Still, the Cubs think otherwise as they signed him to a four-year, $52 million contract where they expect him to be a mainstay in the rotation.

As part of the Colby Rasmus trade in July, Jackson immediately became a regular member of the St. Louis rotation and put together a string of six consecutive quality starts during the stretch run, but he still had a 1.462 WHIP in his 13 appearances with the Cardinals. He topped 180 innings pitched for the fourth season in a row and allowed 195 hits for the fifth season in a row. The Nats grabbed him as a potential bargain with a one-year deal in February, and his primary function will remain the same - he'll start a lot of games, strike out enough batters to make you think he's worth rostering, and then give up so many hits that you'll want to get rid of him, like so many major league teams have.

The White Sox acquired him almost by accident at the trade deadline as general manager Kenny Williams reportedly wanted to flip Jackson for Adam Dunn, but the Nats balked after Williams traded Dan Hudson for Jackson. He was so-so with the Diamondbacks prior to the trade (104:60 K:BB in 134.1 innings, 5.16 ERA), but he went 3-0 with a 51:9 K:BB in his first six post-trade starts. Many credited pitching coach Don Cooper for the turnaround, as he added a cutter to Jackson's repertoire. He only won once more in his remaining five starts with the White Sox, but he racked up an impressive 77 strikeouts in 75 innings and will open 2011 as the White Sox's No. 4 starter.

After years of failing to live up to the hype that surrounded him while he was coming up in the Dodgers' farm system, Jackson finally put it all together during his first campaign with the Tigers. The 26-year-old righty posted a 13-9 record with a 3.63 ERA in 33 starts. Unfortunately, Jackson's overall success masks a disappointing second-half performance that saw him post a 5.07 ERA and 1.527 WHIP in 15 starts after the All-Star break. The D-Backs acquired him to replace Max Scherzer as their No. 3 starter in December, so he'll get a chance to improve his strikeout totals against weaker National League lineups. Just be prepared for home-run and walk rates that are somewhere in between his first- and second-half results from 2009.

Jackson was effective as a back-of-rotation starter for the Rays last season, but with that high WHIP and a strikeout rate that declined in 2008, you can't call it a breakout year. Jackson was dropped from the rotation for the postseason last year, and with David Price ready to pitch every fifth day, the Rays traded Jackson to Detroit for Matt Joyce at the winter meetings. At press time, the Tigers appeared likely to let Jackson claim a spot in the back of their rotation in 2009, but a shift to the bullpen is also possible depending on what other moves the Tigers make.

His 2007 stat line doesn't look good, but Jackson's second-half performance might be more relevant. Jackson went 4-6, with a 4.48 ERA after the All-Star break, with seven quality starts in his last 12 outings. The Rays feel Jackson turned a corner in the second half, and he'll likely start the spring as the No. 4 starter in the Rays' rotation. Whether he stays in the rotation when David Price and/or Wade Davis are ready in the next season or so is another story, but he will get the chance to establish himself once again in 2008.

The Rays gave up on Jackson as a starter last season and tried to recast him as a reliever at Triple-A. He was Durham's closer at the end of last year. He'll try to claim a short relief role and maybe even the closer job with the Rays in the spring, but given almost two runners per inning at Durham last year, Jackson is an end-game coin-flip at best.

It might seem easy to write off Jackson as a prospect, given his multiple failed trials at the major league level and recent mediocre numbers in the minors as well, but keep in mind that Jackson will still only be 22 entering the 2006 season. The Dodgers did him a disservice by calling him up so early in his career (on his 20th birthday), and it appears that the forearm strain that slowed him down in 2004 was more serious than initially let on. He still needs more seasoning in the minors, but a big problem for him and the Dodgers is that their Triple-A affiliate is in Las Vegas, where the park effects are the PCL equivalent to Coors Field.

Jackson frustrated many owners last season while he struggled with injuries and inconsistency. At just age 21, he's still a very solid prospect. He'll likely begin 2005 in Triple-A and a strong start could vault him into the Dodger rotation in the second half of the season or sooner.

A future ace who made it all the way to Chavez Ravine in 2003. Jackson was very impressive in his three late season starts and could break camp with the big club if there is an opening in the rotation. He will likely start the year in Triple-A and be recalled as soon as Darren Dreifort gets hurt again.

Exciting young prospect is the future of the rotation along with Figueroa. Played fullseason ball at 18, and kept his ERA under 2.00 over 104 2/3 innings. As the Sally league's youngest starter, this converted OF may shine someday. The Dodger farm system finally looks to be producing some solid talent again.