Is Edwin Jackson Just Trade Bait or Another Bob Gibson?

Young pitchers with potential come and go. Some are able to harness their skills and have successful baseball careers, while others never seem to gain enough consistency to stay very long in the big leagues. So where does Edwin Jackson fall?

Struggling to a 0-8 record after his first 13 starts last year, many heard whispers that Ed "no win" Jackson was on his way out of the rotation, and maybe even off the major league active roster. Lack of control in the early innings was his downfall on most nights. If the ball wasn't over the plate, batters weren't swinging, and if it was, Jackson's 96 mph fastball was getting hammered.

Such is the life of a starting pitcher that often gets behind in the count to major league batters.

The 2008 season has been a mirror opposite from last season. Jackson's 2007 season was heavily loaded with 3 inning / 6 run knockouts, while sprinkling in a solid month of performances later in the season where the signs of his vast potential finally made an appearance.

To outsiders, nine starts and a 2-3 won-loss record certainly does not speak volumes that Jackson has turned any corners on his future as a Rays starter. But it's his body of work in each start though that brings much interest, as Jackson has yet to display any middle ground between a Bob Gibson like performance or that of a Class AA journeyman.

The bad: three starts, 13 innings pitched with 17 earned runs allowed while the losing pitcher in all three starts.

The good: six starts, 41 innings pitched and only 3 earned runs allowed. But Jackson only picked up 2 wins as the bullpen let two of his starts get away. Offensive support was lacking in the others.

Gibson like efforts included were 2 starts against the Yankees, allowing only a single earned run, and dominating performances against Boston, Seattle, and Toronto. For all of his 2008 starts, the good vs. bad ratio is the polar opposite of last year.

Now, the dilemma for the Rays: gamble and keep him, or gamble and move him.

With so much youthful potential currently on minor league rosters, is this the time to possibly move Jackson? If he's another Bob Gibson, it's certainly a regrettable mistake.

Right now though, while his value is probably as high as it will get, he could be another Sidney Ponson as well. We all know the type, just another one of those guys that turns heads for a while, and then just disappears.

It may be a be a tough choice for the Rays to make, but they will have to decide.