He's way better in CF defensively than Eaton. If he hits about .250 and drives in 50 runs and plays a standout center field AND we win the division, I'd say he could sign a two-year deal for 10 million total. In order words his current contract with a second season. Nobody's gonna sign Austin Jackson to a big-buck contract. It's nice to have a good glove in center, but he's not going to get a great offer from any team.

Five-to seven million a year is about the highest I'd go for 1-3 years. If Sox don't make the playoffs, move on. But the new CF must have a good glove.

Edited May 9, 20169 yr by greg775

Might as well let play May in center and bat 9th. I'm sure he could put up Jackson offensive numbers for league minimum with better d.

Edited May 10, 20169 yr by soxfan2014

Might as well let play May in center and bat 9th. I'm sure he could put up Jackson offensive numbers for league minimum with better d.

 

BS...I'd rather have Austin Jackson playing CF than Avila catching. And it's not even close....

At least we're not paying Justin Upton $20 million to strike out 40% of the time.

At least we're not paying Justin Upton $20 million to strike out 40% of the time.

 

Not an AL player.

BS...I'd rather have Austin Jackson playing CF than Avila catching. And it's not even close....

 

Huh? I don't want Avila catching really. Those 2 positions aren't dependant on each other lol

Huh? I don't want Avila catching really. Those 2 positions aren't dependant on each other lol

 

If you're slotting a "non-hitter" in the lineup given tne current roster...Id much rather it be Jackson than Avila is the point.

There would be some problems with re-signing Jackson. The first is that he's likely to hit FA this winter and, since this is the last big contract he's going to get, he's going to want maximum value. The upcoming FA period is also going to be a player's market, so Jackson will be able to command more than he's worth (I'd guess in the 4/$30M-4/$40M range). On top of that, he's hit well below his career .730 OPS for the past couple of years and he turns 30 next season. Given that his decline in offense might be permanent, his value would be mostly his defense, which will begin to erode in the next few years. He'll probably have to move to LF in the third or fourth year of his contract.

 

Given all of that, I'd take a pass on signing Ajax to a multi-year deal. I'd rather roll the dice with May or somebody else who is cheaper, can play plus-defense in CF, and can put up an upper-.600 OPS.

 

On the other hand, if Ajax's bat remains cold this season and he waits until the winter of 2017 to test the market, I'd be cool with re-signing him to another one-year deal. But I really think that he hits free agency this winter.

Edited May 10, 20169 yr by Black_Jack29

The fact is, Jackson has been pretty terrible offensively for almost two full seasons

 

The average CF in the American League last year put up a .683 OPS.

 

Austin Jackson put up a .696 OPS.

 

People still have a bizarrely, insanely inaccurate view of what is league average and what is terrible in the present, non-steroid era.

 

 

There would be some problems with re-signing Jackson. The first is that he's likely to hit FA this winter and, since this is the last big contract he's going to get, he's going to want maximum value. The upcoming FA period is also going to be a player's market, so Jackson will be able to command more than he's worth (I'd guess in the 4/$30M-4/$40M range).

 

Why in the universe is anyone offering him a 4 year deal? He had to sign a 1 year $5 million deal this year.

Why in the universe is anyone offering him a 4 year deal? He had to sign a 1 year $5 million deal this year.

Exactly. He's past the big contract stage. If he somehow has an amazing year offensively, he might get Kendrys Morales money but I even doubt that.

Two year deal max, like one of those old deals Francoer used to get. Two years 14 million is MAX and he won't get that.

If we're successful this season, you don't let him walk for someone like May to replace him.

 

May ends up being a bench bat or stays in the minors. You keep Ajax.

 

He'll get a contract similar to this year.

The average CF in the American League last year put up a .683 OPS.

 

Austin Jackson put up a .696 OPS.

 

People still have a bizarrely, insanely inaccurate view of what is league average and what is terrible in the present, non-steroid era.

 

 

If you strip away Jackson's April in 2014 with the Tigers, I'm sure you will find he's at or below .683 (over the last two years)....that's why I said the better part of two seasons.

 

He did have a brief recovery for one month, July 2014, then it was all downhill from the time he was traded to the M's.

 

1.5-1.7 WAR might be acceptable for some teams, but it's borderline. Most of Jackson's defensive stats have been fairly mixed, although the "eye test" would seemingly tell you that he's been better than average this year.

 

And part of it's comparing Jackson to the player he USED to be from 2010-2014. He was a very good player, and he's still young, but these seasons have been pretty terrible comparably to the past standard he set.

 

Otherwise, he would have gotten more or better offers for Scott Boras than he ended up with...

 

 

 

Remember, I spent most of the offseason arguing we should sign both Jackson and Ian Desmond...so I'm quite familiar with his history and the fact that signing "terrible" players usually isn't a good idea.

 

 

Jackson isn't 25 anymore; his best years are behind him. However, he is still very good defensively and provides some veteran leadership.

Why in the universe is anyone offering him a 4 year deal? He had to sign a 1 year $5 million deal this year.

 

The upcoming FA market is going to be thin. That's why Fowler took a one-year deal over a three-year deal, Cespedes has an out clause in his current deal, and Rasmus accepted the qualifying offer. All of those guys are going to cash in, and I guarantee you that Jackson will get a multi-year deal as well.

 

 

If you strip away Jackson's April in 2014 with the Tigers, I'm sure you will find he's at or below .683 (over the last two years)....that's why I said the better part of two seasons.

 

He did have a brief recovery for one month, July 2014, then it was all downhill from the time he was traded to the M's.

 

1.5-1.7 WAR might be acceptable for some teams, but it's borderline. Most of Jackson's defensive stats have been fairly mixed, although the "eye test" would seemingly tell you that he's been better than average this year.

 

And part of it's comparing Jackson to the player he USED to be from 2010-2014. He was a very good player, and he's still young, but these seasons have been pretty terrible comparably to the past standard he set.

 

Otherwise, he would have gotten more or better offers for Scott Boras than he ended up with...

 

 

 

Remember, I spent most of the offseason arguing we should sign both Jackson and Ian Desmond...so I'm quite familiar with his history and the fact that signing "terrible" players usually isn't a good idea.

 

Well it isnt June yet, so we can still sign Desmond

Well it isnt June yet, so we can still sign Desmond

 

 

It was the correct thought process, at least.

 

Signing Jackson has obviously worked out well, Desmond will be fine and Fowler was the other one it was speculated could go over into the season, and he's been one of the top 5-10 players in MLB so far this season.

 

Obviously THAT won't last, but once those players come off the board, you move to the next best alternatives.

 

 

The reason I wanted Desmond was not being 100% sold on Tim Anderson. The Rangers have Odor, Andrus, Profar, Alberto, etc. They are a manufacturing line for Latin American middle infielders. Whether we could have given Desmond an attractive enough deal for two years, we'll never know, probably.

 

As it is, SS is the weakest area on our team and I would argue worth a late first round draft pick, but whatever. It became obvious at a certain point that Hahn wasn't going to go there with either Fowler or Desmond. He stuck to his cards, rightly or wrongly, it remains to be seen how it all works out. Even if the pick turns out to be a bust, many will still argue it was the right thing to do regardless.