:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/5354705/153868512.0.jpg)
The Cubs will sign Edwin Jackson to a four-year, $52 million contract. It looks like Jackson's agent's plan of signing a one-year deal with the Nationals last offseason worked out handsomely -- Jackson pitched 189.2 innings, registered 168 strikeouts, entered a very player-friendly market, and got a four-year deal.
The Pirates were, of course, connected to Jackson last offseason, with Pirates fans trying to lure Jackson using the #ejaxtobucs hashtag on Twitter. After acquiring A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez in the past year, though, the Pirates weren't a part of the conversation when Jackson hit the market again.
Jackson will join Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija, and some combination of Scott Baker, Scott Feldman, Carlos Villanueva and Travis Wood in a Cubs rotation that could be pretty good if most of them stay healthy. Garza and Baker are returning from injuries, so the acquisitions of Jackson and Villanueva improve the team's depth.