Ken Williams wouldn’t stop now, would he?
Geez, I hope not.
On Friday morning, Williams finalized a deal that Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal began reporting Thursday night — sending Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson, he of the 149-pitch no-hitter and 5.16 earned-run average.
This triggered a few sensations for many Sox fans. The first was a gag reflex, the second a “Hmmm” spoken loudly enough to alert a librarian and then curiosity. Lots and lots of curiosity.
What’s Trader Kenny up to?
Surely this is a move designed to get Adam Dunn from the Nationals, if not Prince Fielder from the Brewers. Surely it will be a part of something bigger, something more understandable and hopefully more productive.
If it was made to facilitate a Dunn trade or some other move that would make the White Sox more dangerous in October, then maybe it makes more sense than it seems on the surface. If it was made to be a stand-alone move, then pitching coach Don Cooper better be able to deliver on his hunch that he can repair Jackson as quickly as he once did Matt Thornton.
Hudson is too solid, too projectable as a middle-of-the-rotation starter — think Jered Weaver when he first arrived in Anaheim — to be traded for Jackson, who now had been dealt four times. And Holmberg, as a high-schooler one of the best pitchers in Florida before the Sox drafted him in 2009, is either another significant piece or was a terrible draft pick.
According to sources, Williams was engaged heavily in discussions with the Astros on Lance Berkman at the same time he finalized the Jackson trade. He also had discussed Brett Myers, an Astro who for 2010 would be a better alternative than Jackson.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was told the Astros presented Berkman with a group of teams interested in acquiring him. He nixed four of them, according to Nightengale, including the White Sox. It is not believed that there was ever a deal in place.
Those close to the Nationals say it is still not clear if general manager Mike Rizzo is going to trade Dunn or make an 11th-hour effort to sign him to a contract extension. But Rizzo seems to be running out of possibilities, so his decision Saturday could come down to this:
Take the White Sox’s best offer (Jackson included) or hold onto Dunn and accept draft-choice compensation when he leaves after the season.
The Yankees had pursued Dunn but decided to take Berkman rather than continue dealing with Rizzo, who has held his cards a little too close to his vest for some of his peers.
The Rays look like the only other viable landing spot for Dunn, and they have been unwilling to talk about the pieces Rizzo covets. They have the flexibility to trade a starter with Jeremy Hellickson in the wings but can they deal Matt Garza after he just threw the first no-hitter in franchise history? He’s the starter it would make the most sense to move.
Jackson, who is due about $10 million the next two years, will be a free agent after 2011. He seems like a luxury item that would have been better avoided for a team that already has $35 million committed to Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd, and faces an expensive arbitration case with John Danks.
Jackson is a scout’s guy. He flashes the potential to win 15 games consistently but never does. That’s why the Tigers sent him to Tampa Bay and why the Rays sent him on to the Diamondbacks.
Maybe Cooper can solve the mystery. But it’s worth noting Jackson hasn’t been as effective as normal since A.J. Hinch left him in to finish an eight-walk no-hitter June 25, going 1-3 with a 6.85 ERA in four starts.
Most organizations would have worked to develop Hudson, who has been a big winner everywhere except the big leagues — and has had his moments there too. But Williams isn’t most general managers. He would rather do something than nothing, and that’s exactly what he will have done here if he doesn’t follow Friday’s trade with a better one Saturday.
