Cleveland Indians: Should Tribe bring Austin Jackson back?

Even with the exodus of most of the Cleveland Indians free agents, Austin Jackson is still on the open market. Should a reunion be in store?

When healthy, Austin Jackson was a productive player for the Cleveland Indians. He finished 2017 with a .318/.387/.482 slash line which is well above his career averages. He added seven homers along with 19 doubles.

Part of those high offensive numbers can be attributed to luck. Jackson had an unbelievable .385 BAbip last year. It’s unlikely he can repeat that success this year. But still, he drew walks at a 10.4% clip and his 126 OPS+ was the second highest of his career.

However, he produced those numbers in only 85 games due to injuries. He suffered a quad injury and a big toe injury and those issues limited him to 280 at bats last year. With injury concerns and the fact that the speedy centerfielder is entering his age 31 season, it’s not surprising to see him still on the market.

The market has been slow, which is part of the reason Jackson is still on the market, but he is not the force that he once was. Jackson played on a $1.5 million salary last season, and he still should remain relatively inexpensive.

Should Indians re-sign Jackson?

Both Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall dealt with injuries in the 2017 season. Brandon Guyer is a capable replacement, but if both starters are injured at the same time, that leaves a hole somewhere. The Cleveland Indians could try to move Jason Kipnis back to the outfield for a bit, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Bringing Jackson back for another year isn’t a bad idea. Especially after losing Jay Bruce to the Mets, it’s crucial that the Tribe adds some depth to the position. It wouldn’t be a terribly long contract, nor would it cost the team a bunch of money.

He may not be the splashy signing some Indians fans will be looking for, but it’s important to keep depth at the big league level. He signed a minor league contract last year and could be headed that way again. A minor league deal leaves Jackson without a guaranteed contract and allows the Tribe to cut ties with him in Spring Training if they want.

Jackson may not exactly be facing a robust market, but bringing him back to the Cleveland Indians is not the worst thing in the world.

Next: Jay Bruce's Time in Cleveland

Austin Jackson has not had much success since leaving the Detroit Tigers. He was able to find some in Cleveland. Although he struggled with injuries, when healthy, he was productive. It may be wise for Jackson to return to Cleveland if he can.