Friday, December 9, 2011

Nationals Should Have A "Plan B" And His Name Should Be Edwin Jackson

Now that the Washington Nationals have missed out on both Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson, they claim that the team really never had a "Plan B," and that they are content heading into the 2012 season with a rotation made of players they now control.

I have no problem filling the back of the rotation with John Lannan, Chien-Ming Wang and Ross Detwiler or Brad Peacock, but if the team really wants to contend next year--or at least try to--they need to add one more top-of-the-rotation starter to  join Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann.

My guess is general manager Mike Rizzo is still looking for another starter, and Roy Oswalt certainly remains a potential target.

But there are several quality starters still available, some with the same talents and statistics that made Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson so intriguing. 

What about them? 

What about, say, Edwin Jackson?

Jackson is an aggressive pitcher with a good fastball. He pounds the strike zone and breaks bats. His problem, though, is with his control. When he can't find the strike zone, he forces his team to endure long at-bats and even longer innings.

That said, he would be an ideal number-three starter. Over the past four seasons, Jackson has averaged 12-10 with a 3.99 ERA, allowing 9.4 hits and 3.2 walks while striking out 6.7 batters per nine-innings.

No, that's not great, but it's pretty good. And Buerle would have cost the Nationals more than $15 million, about twice what Jackson would cost. 

Picture what Jason Marquis did for the Nationals last season before his trade to Arizona and that's what the Nationals would likely get out of Jackson. In 20 starts last year, Marquis went 8-5, 3.95, 9.8/3.0/5.3. During his time in Washington, he was the team's second-best pitcher behind Jordan Zimmermann.

Marquis cost the team $8 million per season and would have won 10-12 games had he remained all year. Jackson will cost the team about $8 million and would win 10-12 games for the Nationals. 

Jackson, however, is just 27, five years younger than Marquis, and has the talent to improve as his career progresses.

Sign Jackson to a three year contract (or a two year deal with a club option) and then trade Ross Detwiler, Tommy Milone or Brad Peacock as part of a package for that coveted center fielder.

Someone like Adam Jones of the Orioles.

Just because the Nationals didn't get the pitcher they wanted doesn't mean they still can't the pitcher they need.

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