I wouldn't be -too- surprised if Dodger fans end up speaking of the Jackson/Tiffany for Baez/Carter trade in a similar fashion as we do the Konerko for Shaw deal. Just about the only thing palatable about that trade was the fact that at least the Dodgers got cash considerations. Because you know, being such a small-market team, getting an extra bit of pocket change can... Oh, wait. Nevermind.

Honestly, Jackson is STILL only 24. He's younger than Fausto Carmona (to use the other pitcher named in this post), and could be considered fairly similar in terms of potential career trajectory - though certainly not pitching style. They're even similar in their horrendous bad luck on BABIP. Carmona in 2006: .341 with a 13.3 LD% (there's bad luck and then there's absurd - this is the latter). Jackson in 2007: .351 with a 19.4 LD% (LD rate was just above league average, but BABIP was way beyond that).

I don't expect Jackson to be a Cy Young candidate necessarily, but would it be really that odd to see him end up as a better-than-average starter? Even when he struggled, I don't think anybody doubted that he had the tools to succeed. I might add, it'll go down as an awful, awful trade if he simply approaches competency, given his low cost coupled with how awe-inspiringly bad Carter was. Not that Baez and his 7 blown saves in 16 chances were all that stellar either. Baez was more unsurprisingly mediocre. But Carter was astonishing in his ineptness. His peripherals are amusing, in retrospect (and *only* in retrospect). 6.2 BB/9, 2.1 WHIP, 3.9 K/9 - the best part about that K/9? It was actually an IMPROVEMENT over the 3.5 he put up in '05. Sheesh.

Now, amusingly, Baez was traded for Betemit, who of course later would yield Scott Proctor. So... a middle reliever (moonlighting as a closer) gets traded for a power-hitting 3B in his mid-20s... Who is shortly thereafter traded for another middle reliever.

Honestly, I'd rather still have Jackson. Maybe that's just me, though.