The trade deadline passed with no further activity from the White Sox, meaning that Edwin Jackson will be wearing the black and white for the forseeable future, whether or not the Sox really wanted him.
We know what certain numbers say (rank among qualifying starters):
- 10 losses (third-worst in the NL)
- 5.16 ERA (second-worst)
- 77 earned runs (worst)
- 1.50 WHIP (sixth-worst)
- 38 percent quality starts (fourth-worst)
- 13 wild pitches (worst)
It's difficult to reconcile this version of Jackson with the 2009 one that went 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA with the Detroit Tigers, even making the All-Star team.
Obviously, you'd guess he'd resemble his current self more than the last year for the remainder of this season, but there is probably a better pitcher in there somewhere. FIP thinks he's roughly equivalent, anyway, with better strikeout and home run rates offsetting the walks in the peripheral department.
The good news is that there will be changes in store, and not just a mechanical adjustment. He's going to be pitching for a completely different style of manager, one who keeps a much closer watch on workloads.
Thanks to a combination of long-leash managers and awful bullpens, Jackson has thrown 105 pitches per start in each of the last two season. Guillen hasn't approached that number in any of the last three seasons; John Danks is the only one to average triple-digits over the last two seasons.
In fact, you'd have to go back to 2007 to find a pitcher who cleared 104 pitches, and Javier Vazquez did so under similar circumstances, with the league's worst bullpen backing him up.
Even still, Vazquez's 108.2 pitches per game were pretty consistently managed. He only topped 115 pitches three times over 32 starts, and his highest pitch count (120) was distributed over a complete-game victory.
Jackson has exceeded 115 pitches five times over 21 starts, including three starts of 120 or more. One is a complete outlier, as he famously threw 149 pitches during his eight-walk no-hitter.
You know how many times a White Sox pitcher has thrown 120 pitches over the last two seasons? Zero.
There are no clear conclusions to be drawn from these numbers alone, but there will truly be different factors at play. The phrase "change of scenery" gets thrown around a lot, but Jackson will see some major differences between Arizona's managerial madness and the steady organizational philosophy and hierarchy on the South Side. If Jackson doesn't respond in some way, then he's really his own man.
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Not to look past Sunday, but the upcoming four-game series with Detroit is going to be pretty crucial to the White Sox's chances of adding a hitter in the waiver period.
As it stands, the White Sox lead the Tigers by six games. That's great, except when it comes to waivers. Both teams need a hitter (at least), and Detroit's worse record means it would have the first choice.
But if the Sox can hold that margin deeper into August, if not extend it, the Tigers will reach a point where it wouldn't be worth taking on money. The sooner they can knock them out of the race, the less complicated it gets.
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Christian Marrero Reading Room (deadline edition):
*Kenny Williams tried his damndest to add a hitter. Along with the doomed talks for Adam Dunn and Lance Berkman rejecting a trade, the Dodgers turned down his offer for the currently injured Manny Ramirez.
Admittedly, it wasn't much of an offer, as the Sox were only offering to pay $1 million of his salary. The Dodgers wanted Dayan Viciedo. That's quite chasm.
Then again, the White Sox lent Jim Thome to the Dodgers last season for nothing, so maybe Williams figured he and Ned Colletti had a give-a-penny-take-a-penny system going on, except with former Cleveland sluggers instead of pennies.
*Jackson appreciates the opportunity to go "from worst to first," and thinks he'll like Guillen just fine.
*ESPN.com's Jayson Stark lists the White Sox among the deadline losers.
*Gordon Beckham got punk'd by Kenny Williams. Randy Williams still doesn't know what happened in the spring.
*Phil Rogers thinks the Sox did right by not overpaying for a hitter.
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Minor league roundup:
- Charlotte 8, Rochester 7
- Mark Teahen went 3-for-4 with two RBI in his first rehab game.
- Brent Morel's batting average is up to .304 after a 3-for-4 night.
- Tyler Flowers went 1-for-5 with a double and a strikeout.
- Jordan Danks went 2-for-4.
- Charlie Shirek struggled in his Triple-A debut, allowing seven runs on six hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings, striking out three.
- Birmingham 6, Chattanooga 1
- Charles Leesman pitched around four walks and four hits, allowing just a run over five innings while striking out five.
- Kyle Bellamy pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out one.
- Christian Marrero doubled and walked over four plate appearances.
- Justin Greene (triple) and Jim Gallagher (tripled, homer) went 2-for-4.
- Eduardo Escobar went 1-for-5 with a single.
- Myrtle Beach 2, Winston-Salem 1 (11 innings)
- Jon Gilmore went 3-for-5.
- Brandon Short (two K's) and Jose Martinez were a combined 0-for-9.
- Hickory 7, Kannapolis 4
- Tyler Saladino went 3-for-4 and an RBI.
- Kyle Colligan and Nick Ciolli were a combined 0-for-9 with four strikeouts.
- Miguel Gonzalez walked and struck out twice over four PAs.
- Ryan Buch struggled: 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
- Greeneville 9, Bristol 6
- Daniel Black went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk.
- Great Falls at Missoula PPD
