3 Austin Jackson Trade Ideas That Make the Most Sense
Following Wednesday night's mega trade that saw the Tigers ship first baseman Prince Fielder and $30 million to the Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler, there was bound to be some further roster shuffling from both teams.
With some extra money to work with, the Tigers appear to be turning their attention to center field, and according to a tweet from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the team is listening to offers for incumbent Austin Jackson.
If he is dealt, the team could turn their attention to the free agent and someone like Jacoby Ellsbury, as Nightengale points out. A reunion with Curtis Granderson is another possibility the team could explore.
Jackson, 26, took a step back in 2013 after a breakout season the year before, and he still strikes out far more than you'd like out of your lead off hitter.
Still, he's under team control through 2015 and there's no reason to think he can't return to his 2012 form, when he hit .300/.377/.479 and scored 103 runs.
With those numbers in mind, one would expect at least a few teams to be interested in Jackson. Here is a look at three trade ideas that could make sense for both sides.
Seattle Mariners
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Mariners' Center Field Overview
It's no secret the Mariners are in the market for center fielder this offseason, as Franklin Gutierrez had his option declined and they don't have much in the way of an in-house option unless they move Dustin Ackley there full-time.
After ranking dead-last in runs scored for three straight seasons, the Mariners took a step forward in 2013. Adding an impact bat in center field could be enough for them to take that next step toward contention.
The Tigers would be selling low on Jackson at this point, but given his age and the fact that he still has two years of team control, he likely won't come cheap.
Proposed Package
RP Carter Capps (22)
The Tigers' bullpen is perhaps their biggest question mark this offseason, and while Capps did not exactly light the world on fire as a rookie with a 5.49 ERA in 59 innings of work, he has electric stuff.
He has swing-and-miss stuff and profiles as a terrific late-inning reliever moving forward, with potential to wind up in the closer's spot.
3B Stefen Romero (25)
With Miguel Cabrera likely moving back to first base, chances are the team will move top prospect Nick Castellanos back to his natural position of third base to fill the void.
Picking up Romero would give them a solid insurance option at the hot corner, as he's done nothing but hit throughout his minor league career, and he's coming off of a .277/.331/.448 season with 11 home runs and 74 RBI at Triple-A Tacoma.
2B/SS Chris Taylor (23)
Taken in the fifth-round of the 2012 draft, Taylor has moved quickly through the Seattle organization, splitting his first full professional season between High-A and Double-A, hitting a combined .314/.409/.455 with 60 RBI and 108 runs scored.
With Brad Miller and Nick Franklin looking like the future up the middle for Seattle, Taylor could be considered expendable, and the Tigers could certainly use a second baseman of the future. Hernan Perez and Devon Travis are solid prospects, but Taylor would likely jump ahead of them as the future at second.
New York Mets
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Mets' Center Field Overview
Were it not for the Mets dismal outfield situation heading into 2013, Marlon Byrd may never have gotten the chance to turn in his impressive bounce-back season, as he turned a minor league contract into a two-year, $16 million deal this offseason.
Juan Lagares, Lucas Duda, Matt den Dekker and Eric Young all figure to be in the mix for playing time in the outfield, but the Mets would certainly like to add an impact bat to the mix there.
With Young perhaps moving to second base and Duda seeing time at first, some sort of addition seems inevitable, and adding a young player like Jackson would seemingly make a lot of sense for the rebuilding Mets.
Proposed Package
RP Victor Black (25)
Acquired from the Pirates in the Marlon Byrd deal, Black posted a 2.51 ERA, 1.050 WHIP and 12.2 K/9 in 46.2 innings of work at Triple-A Indianapolis prior to the trade and made 15 appearances with the Mets after the move.
With a mid-'90s fastball, plus slider and terrific control, he has all the makings of a solid late-inning reliever and should be able to crack the Opening Day roster after getting his feet wet in the majors last season.
C Kevin Plawecki (22)
Taken in the supplemental round of the 2012 draft as one of the top college catchers of his class, Plawecki is blocked by top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud on the Mets depth chart, and that could make him a movable part.
He's an offensive-minded catcher, hitting .305/.390/.448 with eight home runs and 80 RBI over 449 at-bats between Single-A and High-A last season, but he should be able to hold his own defensively as well. James McCann is currently the best catching prospect in the Tigers' system, but his future is likely as a backup.
SP Jacob deGrom (25)
A two-way player in college who missed what would have been his first full pro season to Tommy John surgery, it's fair to say that deGrom fell behind the developmental curve early on.
He opened last season at the High-A level and was pushed aggressively, finishing the year in Triple-A. All told, he was 7-7 with a 4.51 ERA, but with a plus fastball and a solid changeup/slider combination, he still projects as a useful big league starter in the very near future. He'd be solid organizational depth for the Tigers if nothing else.
San Francisco Giants
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Giants' Center Field Overview
The Giants entered last season with Angel Pagan re-signed to play center field and a platoon of Gregor Blanco and Andres Torres set to man left field.
Injuries limited Pagan to just 71 games, however, and the team got little in the way of production out of left field all year. All told, center fielders combined to hit .255/.320/.352 and left fielders hit .257/.314/.337 during the year.
According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports, there is a good chance the team moves Pagan to left field to help him avoid further injury and pursues a center fielder this offseason. Ideally they would sign someone capable of serving as a run producer in the middle of the order, but Jackson would certainly be an upgrade as well.
Proposed Package
RP Heath Hembree (24)
Sticking with the idea that the Tigers are in need of bullpen help, Hembree could certainly make sense as a player they would target with an eye on the present and future.
After a dominant 2011 that saw him save 38 games and post a 1.86 ERA and 13.2 K/9 between High-A and Double-A, Hembree has dealt with some growing pains the past few years. Still, he has all the makings of a future closer, and he made his big league debut this past season with 12 strikeouts throughout 7.2 scoreless innings.
OF Francisco Peguero (25)
The 25-year-old Peguero already has eight minor league seasons under his belt, and in 2,718 at-bats, he has put up a .306/.337/.427 line.
His power is minimal, and he does not steal bases like he used to, but Peguero has a plus hit tool and if nothing else profiles as a fourth outfielder with potential for more. If Nick Castellanos does in fact move to third base, Peguero could give the Tigers another option in left field.
RP Josh Osich (25)
A starter in college, Osich spent all of last season in the bullpen, splitting the year between High-A and Double-A and posting a 3.47 ERA and 9.8 K/9 throughout 56 appearances.
He should see the big leagues at some point in 2014, and with Phil Coke struggling last year and Drew Smyly still likely to move to the rotation at some point, Osich could emerge as a key bullpen piece for the Tigers.
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