Jackson's off the board (Kotchman too)

The Nationals just confirmed that they have reached agreement with free-agent pitcher Edwin Jackson on a one-year deal. Various reports place its worth at approximately $10 million. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports was the first to tweet the news, saying that Jackson was spotted at the airport as he arrived in town for his physical. Heyman didn't specify which airport. Plenty of people fly into Dulles on their way to Baltimore. Forget it. Jackson wasn't going to sign with the Orioles unless they were willing to exceed executive vice president Dan Duquette's three-year comfort zone. And I never was given an indication that they were prepared to do it, especially for the money that Jackson had sought. The Orioles weren't going to give him $15 million per year. Once it became apparent that agent Scott Boras would seek a one-year deal and send his client back into the free-agent fray next winter - a strategy that has worked for Boras in the past - the Orioles were officially out of the running. As I kept saying, pitchers like Jackson and Roy Oswalt aren't going to view Baltimore as the ideal destination when trying to pad their stats and become more attractive to other teams. The American League East isn't a desirable spot, and it looks a lot worse from the basement. Jackson reportedly turned down a few multi-year offers, so today's decision is a gamble. He's a .500 pitcher with a career 4.46 ERA and 1.476 WHIP whose stuff doesn't match his output. But he could win big in D.C. and really strike it rich next winter. The Nationals have an abundance of starters and could trade John Lannan, who will be paid $5 million this season after losing his arbitration hearing today. They still don't know who's playing center field. I fully expect the Adam Jones trade rumors to start up again. At least the Edwin Jackson rumors and speculation will subside. He's off the board - for one year. NOTE: According to multiple reports, the Indians have reached agreement on a one-year, $3 million contract with free-agent first baseman Casey Kotchman. The Orioles had some interest in Kotchman while attempting to add another hitter to their lineup.