Edwin Jackson: Nationals a Step Closer to Contention After Signing

The Washington Nationals added a major piece to their rotation when they traded for Gio Gonzalez in December, and they added another piece on Thursday in the person of free-agent starter Edwin Jackson.

The news comes straight from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com:

Heyman subsequently noted that the deal is pending Jackson's physical, and that Jackson's deal is for one year and somewhere between $8 to $12 million.

Jackson is notorious for his control issues, but he's a guy who gets the job done anyway while logging significant innings. He's pitched at least 180 innings every year since 2008 and he's coming off a season in which he posted a 3.79 ERA between stops with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.

It's also worth noting that Jackson has played in two of the last four World Series. He knows what it's like to play on a winner.

The Nats are clearly trying to build a winner, and general manager Mike Rizzo has done well to establish a solid starting rotation in Washington.

Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com was kind enough to spell things out:

That's a pretty solid starting five. Stephen Strasburg and Chien-Ming Wang will have to stay healthy, of course, but the Nats are going to cause plenty of trouble if their starting five remains intact for the better part of the 2012 season.

Keep in mind that we're talking about a team that won 80 games in 2011. This starting rotation alone should lead to an increase in wins, and the Nats could very well have more wins in store for them if they decide to start Bryce Harper.

However, the Nats can't quite be considered a playoff favorite quite yet. Not as long as they play in the NL East.

The East belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies. They're probably going to struggle to score runs again, but their pitching makes them slump proof. The same is true of the Atlanta Braves, who have a rock solid rotation and one of the best bullpens in the majors. We also shouldn't forget that the Miami Marlins significantly upgraded themselves this offseason.

So from top to bottom, the NL East is pretty solid. The Nats will be in the mix throughout the season, but it cannot be taken for granted that they will make the postseason cut.

But hey, it takes time to build a winning baseball team. Compared to where the team was a couple seasons ago, the Nats have come a long way. Success in 2012 will beget success in 2013, and so on.

Sure, we don't know if Jackson will be around beyond this year, but you can't rule out the idea of him returning and you certainly can't rule out the idea of Rizzo replacing him with somebody else.

He likely won't have difficulty doing either. Good things are happening in Washington.