Padres sign Edwin Jackson to minor league contract

Ken Rosenthal was the first to report that the Padres have reached a deal with free agent pitcher Edwin Jackson, and Dennis Lin quickly confirmed it through his sources, adding that it's a minor league deal. Jackson spent the first part of this season with the Marlins before being released two weeks ago. The 14-year veteran has been used as a reliever the past two seasons, with the Cubs, Braves, and aforementioned Marlins, after being in various rotations prior to that.

You may recall that Jackson was a free-agent target of the Padres in the 2012-'13 offseason, but they were not willing to commit to the four years he was seeking. Sometimes the move you don't make is the right one, and that was the case in this instance. The Cubs ponied up, and Jackson was an immediate disappointment. He put up a 4.98 ERA with a decreased strikeout rate and increased walk rate in a full season's work in 2013, then made that look acceptable in comparison the next season when he posted an ERA of 6.33 that only Luis Perdomo could envy. As the Cubs became contenders, they moved Jackson to the bullpen before last season; he fared much better in that role but was still released right before the trade deadline.

Jackson is still just 32 years old, which seems astounding for as long as he's been around the league. He currently has a career mark of 88-108 with a 4.59 ERA in 348 games, 262 of which he has started. If he does end up making the Padres' active roster, that will be his eleventh major league team.