Late last night word got out that the White Sox and Diamondbacks are close to agreeing on a deal that would send Daniel Hudson along with a minor league pitcher to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson .
On the surface this seems like a logical deal for each team. With Jackson the Sox would be getting a more experienced version of Daniel Hudson and a guy who would instill a little more confidence when he takes the mound down the stretch.
That being said, the numbers for Jackson this season have been less than impressive. On the year Jackson is 6-10 with a 5.10 ERA. If that’s not enough, he also has 60 walks and 13 wild pitches in just 132 innings. So why would the Sox want him?
Well look at what he did in the AL last season with the Tigers. 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA, 161 K, and 212 IP. That’s a workhorse.
Jackson is also signed for next season at $8.35M. This means that he’s not just a rental and would slot in nicely as a No. 4 starter in the 2011 rotation.
On the flip side, the Sox would be trading away what appears to be a younger version of Edwin Jackson. In both of his stints in the big leagues, Hudson has had control problems. Last season he walked nine batters in 18 innings, and this year he’s walked 11 in just 15 innings.
All right, so he’s not Greg Maddux. But Hudson has shown an ability to strike out major league hitters (14 K/ 15 IP ).
He’s also a couple years away from being arbitration eligible, which is especially enticing to a team like the Diamondbacks that is looking to rebuild with younger, cheaper players.
The main complaint from Sox fans with this deal (if it goes through) will be that if I’m saying Hudson isn’t getting it done, then I have to say Jackson isn’t getting it done this season either.
That’s a fair point, but at least Jackson has some track record of being effective, and not only that, but he also did it in the American League.
Hudson does not have that track record .
It’s always tough to give up young, major-league-ready talent. But Kenny Williams has shown he wants to win now, and Jackson gives the Sox a better chance to do that than Hudson does.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com