First it was Dan Haren to the Angels. Now Edwin Jackson has been traded by the Diamondbacks.
Long been rumored to be on the trading block, Jackson was dealt to the Chicago White Sox this morning.
The deal nets two more pitching arms for the Snakes in right-hander Dan Hudson and lefty David Holmberg.
The centerpiece of the trade is Hudson, who is expected to fill Jackson's spot in the starting rotation right away. In 17 starts for Triple-A Charlotte, Hudson made batters swing and miss, striking out 108 in 93.1 innings while recording a 3.47 ERA.
Hudson, the third-best prospect in Chicago's organization, also has some major league experience. He has three starts this season with a 6.32 ERA. A fifth-round pick in 2008, Hudson already has the stuff to pitch at the major league level.
The other pitcher involved, Holmberg, is only 19 and still has some work to do to get to the big league level. But it also means he still has time to develop his repertoire and improve as a starting pitcher.
He is rated as the eight-best prospect in the White Sox organization.
For Jackson, 26, this is the fourth time he's been traded in his career. Nobody seems to want to hold onto the righty for too long.
Except for his no-hitter earlier this season, Jackson has had an average season since being acquired from Detroit in the offseason. He is 6-10 with a 5.16 ERA, almost a full run higher than the league average.
Give credit to D-Backs interim General Manager Jerry Dipoto on this one.
After striking out with two outs and the tying runner on third (also known as failing) in the Haren trade, Dipoto definitely helped out the long-term future of the club with this deal.
Hudson is under contract for the next six seasons and there's hope that Holmberg can join him in the rotation sooner rather than later. That's two possible spots in the rotation that the Snakes potentially have locked up for awhile.
In addition, the D-Backs (always looking to save a penny) got out of paying Jackson $9.85 million for the rest of this season plus next year's salary.
Overall though, a decent trade for a team that is looking for any bit of good news these days.
