According to Fox Sports, the Tigers are about to trade outfielder Matt Joyce to the Rays for pitcher Edwin Jackson. The 25 year old Jackson had 14 wins and a 4.42 ERA in 183 1/3 innings for the pennant winning Rays last year. However, his 5.3 strikeouts per game was not good for a hard throwing pitcher and his walk rate of 3.8 per game was indicative of his spotty control. On top of that, his ground ball rate was just 39%. Jackson was once one of the top prospects in the game and is still just 25 but the statistical indicators are concerning.
Joyce had a surprisingly good year in his Tigers debut in 2008. The 24 year old left-handed batter blasted 12 homers and posted a.831 OPS in 242 at bats for the Tigers. Joyce was one of their few left-handed bats and had what I felt was a promising future as a regular corner outfielder with the Tigers.
It was not a surprise to see Joyce traded since Jim Leyland commented about his laid back approach during the summer. I also understand that Leyland likes hard throwing (Jackson has a mid 90s fast ball) pitchers with high upsides. It could turn out to be a good deal but right now I'm not a fan of the trade.
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