MLB Free Agents 2012: Edwin Jackson Is the Best Deal Left on Pitching Market

Now that C.C. Sabathia has officially been retained by the New York Yankees, the well-traveled Edwin Jackson is the best remaining deal for MLB teams looking to fill a starting pitching void.

Jackson is not the most dominant pitcher on the market, nor the cheapest.

However, he is a terrific value in a group of less-than-stellar arms. Nobody appears to be a safe signing, but all things considered, Edwin Jackson is as desirable as any available starter.

Here are his competitors and reasons why the buyers will be deterred from pursuing them.

C.J. Wilson: Cost

Coming off a pair of great seasons for the Texas Rangers, C.J. Wilson will be the priciest free agent pitcher to sign this offseason.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old has started in each of the last two World Series. He did so in 2011 as the unquestioned ace of the Rangers.

There won't be much concern over the 250-plus innings he threw from March through October due to the light workload he has endured in the big leagues.

C.J. Wilson relieved for five seasons before entering the starting rotation in 2010. Overall, he has thrown fewer professional innings than any available top-of-the-rotation arms.

Wilson will only be wooed by a lengthy and expensive contract, likely in excess of $100 million. That simply isn't feasible for most franchises, nor is it worth the risk for a player who performed so poorly in the 2011 playoffs (0-3, 5.79 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 6 HR allowed in 28.0 IP).

Mark Buehrle: Pitching Style

Not even two years older than C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle has far more mileage on his left arm.

Buehrle has been the epitome of consistency for the Chicago White Sox since debuting in 2000. He has pitched at least 200 innings in each of the past 11 seasons yet has never been placed on the disabled list.

Mark Buehrle is among the best control pitchers in the sport with a career average of barely two walks per nine innings!

Although Buehrle has been a winning pitcher throughout his career, his pitching style won't yield success in all environments.

His oxymoron of a fastball doesn't have enough velocity to get batters swinging late. There isn't sufficient movement on his off-speed pitches to pick up timely strikeouts.

Mark Buehrle will be seeking a lofty, multi-year deal. There just isn't much potential upside in paying an eight-figure annual salary to a player who's approaching his decline.

Yu Darvish: Untested

Yu Darvish has had an outstanding career for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan.

Darvish is touted as the greatest pitching prospect ever to emerge from the Far East because of his combination of youth, body type, pitch selection and control.

His 2011 statistics are incredible, but how does that correlate to pitching in the majors? Frankly, it doesn't.

His fellow countrymen Kei Igawa and Daisuke Matsuzaka were not worth their MLB contracts, much less the outrageous posting fees that had to be paid to open up negotiations.

Darvish won't be made available by his current club unless a record-breaking amount is posted. In fact, he could conceivably stay in Japan through 2014!

Yu Darvish is coveted by some scouts and executives, but many teams realize the risk involved and will understandably pass on him.

Hiroki Kuroda: Sentimental

Speaking of Japanese pitchers, Hiroki Kuroda enters free agency after four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He was very effective in 2011 despite a misleading win-loss record. He added a curveball to his repertoire and featured a fastball that occasionally climbed into the mid-90s. It was his second consecutive injury-free campaign.

However, Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com believes Kuroda might finish his career in Hiroshima. Those of you who paid close attention during July's MLB Trade Deadline will remember that he rejected several potential mid-season deals to contending teams.

Hiroki Kuroda evidently places comfort above winning or money on his list of priorities.

It will be difficult for any MLB club other than the Dodgers to appeal to him. And if they do, it would be unwise to sign Kuroda unless he is genuinely enthused about uprooting.

Roy Oswalt: Unhealthy?

Roy Oswalt struggled to stay on the mound this past season.

He failed to start 30 games for the first time since 2003, and his outings weren't characteristic of a perennial All-Star's.

Oswalt grew frustrated with a nagging back injury to the point where he contemplated retirement.

Roy Oswalt was an awesome MLB starter as recently as 2010, so the question here is whether his ailments are behind him or if they can only be periodically suppressed.

His age alone makes a long-term deal very risky.

Erik Bedard: Unhealthy (No Question About It)

Left-hander Erik Bedard certainly won't be a hot commodity this winter.

Over the past four seasons, his body has been ravaged by hip, back and shoulder problems. It's difficult to remember him as the Baltimore Orioles' ace from 2007 who recorded 221 strikeouts.

Although he still possesses a lot of talent, Erik Bedard cannot be expected to stay healthy.

Aaron Harang: Homefield Advantage

Aaron Harang quietly posted solid numbers in 2011 with the San Diego Padres. Harang's 14-7 record was surprising considering that the Padres ranked 28th in Major League Baseball in runs scored.

However, he shouldn't be taken too seriously by teams looking to add an elite starting pitcher.

His "success" was a by-product of San Diego's PETCO Park. Of his 28 starts, 17 were at home, and his enhanced stats at the cavernous venue skewed his overall earned run average and batting average against.

If I'm not fooled, I doubt MLB general managers will be either.

Aaron Harang will be signed this offseason, but not by a team in need of a savior.

Javier Vazquez: Finished/Inconsistent

Javier Vazquez appears to be going out on top.

Vazquez was rightfully named National League Pitcher of the Month in September after allowing only three runs in five starts.

His 2011 season as a whole, though, was far from steady.

He was arguably the sport's worst starting pitcher through the end of June! His poor pitching around mid-season led the Florida Marlins into a lengthy slump from which they never rebounded.

Javier Vazquez has had a very uneven career. The disparity between his 2009 and 2010 performances, for example, was like night and day (and Vazquez pitches much better at night).

Statements from the right-hander himself insist that he would like to retire and spend more time with his family. I don't think it would be smart for a team to sign him at his 2011 rate of $7 million anyway.

Dontrelle Willis: Not Who He Used to Be

Dontrelle Willis hasn't been a reputable pitcher since 2005. "D-Train" will be just 30 next spring, but let's face it, baseball fans, he's over the hill.

He doesn't throw hard like All-Star Dontrelle did. But more importantly, his control has deserted him.

Willis walked nearly a batter per inning from 2008 to 2010!

He held a rotation spot in Cincinnati for most of the second half of 2011. However, he had only one win to show for his 13 starts.

What can Dontrelle Willis provide for an MLB team? Incredible production from the bottom of the batting order.

While incompetent on the mound, Willis can sure handle himself at the plate. In 34 plate appearances last season, he slugged his way to a 1.032 OPS!

Alas, he has minimal value to American League teams. They wouldn't be able to utilize his hitting prowess (except during interleague play).

No matter how low the base salary, a major league contract for Dontrelle WIllis would be a mistake.

Edwin Jackson: Best Deal on the Market

Edwin Jackson has been in five different starting rotations since the start of 2008!

There's no simple explanation for this, but he finally has an opportunity to settle down.

Jackson won't anticipate a huge deal; he knows he hasn't earned one.

A two-year contract worth $15-20 million should be enough to bring the second-youngest* free agent starter to a team with a vacancy.

Enclosed in his 28-year-old body is 1101 innings of big league experience, no injury history, and one of baseball's best fastballs. 

Jackson's new-found emphasis on strike throwing will make him more effective than ever. He showed a lot of confidence in his off-speed pitches in 2011.

Edwin Jackson isn't necessarily the top pitcher available. Still, he is extremely dependable and affordable, and filled with potential.

He is the only truly safe starting pitcher that a team can sign this offseason.

*In case you were curious, Mitch Talbot is the youngest starter on the open market (Date of Birth: 10/17/1983).