Report: Edwin Jackson signs minor league deal with Orioles
By Bryan Holmes
The Orioles adds more versatility and pitching depth by signing former All-Star Edwin Jackson to a minor league deal, pending physical.
Former all star Edwin Jackson has agreed to a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles pending a physical, according to The Baltimore Sun. The 33-year-old veteran’s deal will net him a maximum of $2.45 million in performance bonuses and includes a June 1st opt-out clause.
Jackson split his time in the 2016 season between the Padres and the Marlins. With Miami, Jackson accumulated just 10.1 innings out of the bullpen before being designated for assignment. He was then picked up by the Padres where he started 13 games, going 5-6 with a 5.89 ERA.
Jackson’s versatility to both start and come out of the bullpen could be a good thing for the Orioles. This gives the Orioles the option to use Jackson in a variety of ways. Chris Tillman is on the DL until mid-May, so if Jackson can eat up some innings in some spot starts for the time being until Tillman gets back than this signing will have been beneficial. However, that’s assuming Jackson is going to make this team. The Orioles have shown they are invested to the options that they have in-house by not going to free agency to fill the void when Tillman went down to injury in the first place. Either way, if Jackson comes out of the pen or spot starts, this move gives Baltimore more pitching depth which is something that a team can never have enough of.
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Jackson has been a journey man throughout his career. If he makes the Orioles roster this will have been the 12th major league team that he has been apart of. Jackson’s best year came with the Chicago White Sox where he was an all star boasting a 13-9 record with a 3.62 ERA. Additionally, in 2003 and 2004 he was the youngest player in the National league at just 20 and 21 years of age.