The Oakland Athletics trade of Edwin Jackson to the Toronto Blue Jays will lead to history being made.
Over the course of MLB history, two players have appeared with 13 different major league teams. It is a record held by both Octavio Dotel and Edwin Jackson, a pair of well traveled pitchers who were actually teammates back in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Saturday, Jackson came one step closer to having that record for himself. He was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations.
The Chronicle has learned that Edwin Jackson had an out at end of month and Blue Jays appear to have an immediate big-league opportunity for him. The A’s typically do not stand between veterans on minor-league deals when they have chances to contribute at the major-league level.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) May 11, 2019
With the Blue Jays in need of pitchers at the major league level, Jackson will get an opportunity that simply was not there in Oakland. He is expected to join the rotation in the coming days, and when he throws his first pitch for Toronto, will set a record as he will pitch for his 14th major league franchise.
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Interestingly, this is technically the second time that Jackson has been a member of the Blue Jays. He had been acquired by Toronto, along with Mark Teahan, from the White Sox, with Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart heading to the South Side. However, his tenure with the Blue Jays was measured in minutes, as he, Dotel, Corey Patterson, and Mark Rzepczynski were sent to the Cardinals for Trever Miller, Colby Rasmus, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters.
Jackson has been a serviceable major league arm in his career. The 2009 All Star has posted a 104-123 record, along with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.446 WHiP in his 16 year career. He may not be the type of pitcher that can lead a team to a postseason berth, but he is a useful back of the rotation piece.
That was an opportunity he would not get in Oakland this season. Frankly, the A’s had no reason to find a spot on the roster for Jackson before his opt-out, as he had posted an 8.38 ERA and a 1.655 WHiP in 9.2 innings at AAA. However, the Blue Jays, with injuries decimating their rotation, have an opening that Jackson can fill.
Sometime soon, Edwin Jackson will throw a pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays. When that happens, he will set a major league record by making an appearance with his 14th franchise.