The Nationals apparently aren’t finished with their pitching staff. The team added another veteran arm on Thursday, agreeing with right-hander Edwin Jackson on a one-year deal worth between $8 million and $12 million, according to CBS sports, whose Jon Heyman first reported the deal on Twitter.
Jackson, who was traded from the Chicago White Sox to St. Louis last season, combined for a 12-9 record with a 3.79 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP and 148 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings. He was a key player down the stretch for the eventual World Series champion Cardinals, going 5-2 with a 3.58 ERA as they overcame a 10 1/2-game deficit to overtake Atlanta for the National League wild card playoff spot.
Washington is the seventh stop in 10 major league seasons for Jackson, who has been involved in trade deadline deals in each of the past two years. According to Bill Ladson of mlb.com, he is one of only 23 starting pitchers in the majors to post double-digit win totals in the past four seasons and one of just 20 starters to average at least 12 wins and 200 innings per year in that span.
Jackson is the second veteran pitcher the Nats have signed in less than a week, joining ex-closer Brad Lidge as experienced hands on an otherwise young staff. He instantly becomes the senior member of a rotation that includes Stephen Strasburg (third season), Jordan Zimmermann (fourth season) , Gio Gonzalez (fifth season), John Lannan (sixth season) and Chien-Ming Wang (seventh season).
However, FOX Sports reports that the Nats are “aggressively shopping Lannan,” who despite losing his arbitration case against the Nationals on Thursday is due for a hefty raise to $5 million this season, up from $2.75 million last year. Dealing the left-handed Lannan could net the team its long-sought center fielder/leadoff man and open a regular spot in the rotation for another southpaw, Ross Detweiler, who was 4-5 with a 3.00 ERA last season, but went 2-1 in September, with 13 1-3 consecutive shutout innings in his final two starts.
