(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Well, that's that. The 2011 World Series is officially ours. Cancel the rest of the season. Don't bother with that whole playoff formality. The Red Sox now have Conor Jackson. The Red Sox are now unbeatable.
You're probably asking yourself 'How man top-tier prospects did we have to part with to get someone of Jackson's pedigree? Renaudo? Iglesias? Maybe both?!'
Actually, neither. All Theo handed over to the A's for Jackson was Pawtucket's Jason Rice.
Here are the details, via RedSox.com:
"It's definitely exciting," Jackson said. "I'm at a little loss for words right now. If you had told me on the 31st at 11:45 I would have gotten traded ... it's just exciting.
"I don't think you could be a guy in my position to ask for anything better, going to a big-market team where there's probably the best fans in baseball."
A right-handed hitter, Jackson is hitting .249 with four homers and 38 RBIs in 102 games and 333 at-bats this season.
The Red Sox have a first baseman who plays just about all the time in Adrian Gonzalez, so Jackson will probably see far more action in the outfield.
"I'll probably have the same role -- coming off the bench against lefties," Jackson said. "But whatever it is, I'll be grateful for it. I think the opportunity to play in October is unparalleled to anything else."
Did you get a look at those numbers up there? .249 average. Four (4!) home runs. 38 Runs Batted In. And he did all this in just 333 at-bats.
Sorry Major League Baseball. He's ours now.
On a semi-serious note, it's pretty apparent that Theo is about as happy with our non-Jacoby/Carl outfielders as the fans are. And with JD experiencing a setback with a sprained finger (Drew getting injured while recovering from an injury? Who would've expected that?!), Theo at least did something to try to liven up Right Field.
Oh, and that whole 'facing lefties' thing? Here is what he's done against lefties this season: 122 at-bats, 31 hits, .254 average, with 10 doubles, 0 home runs and 10 RBIs. Whip out the party hats, folks.
I don't think Conor Jackson is the answer -- unless the question is: who else can Tito put in Right that won't produce at the plate -- but well, welcome to Boston. I guess.