With the waiver trade deadline looming at midnight on Wednesday, it was thought the Boston Red Sox would stand pat with their roster besides the additions of Trevor Miller and Joey Gathright, who were both assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket.
But it appears that is not the case as the various Boston media entities are reporting that the Red Sox beat the deadline and acquired Conor Jackson from the Oakland Athletics. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he was in town with the A’s over the Hurricane Irene weekend.
The Red Sox sent minor league pitcher Jason Rice to complete the deal. To make room on the 40-man roster for Jackson, the Red Sox have placed Bobby Jenks on the 60-day disabled list.
In 102 games with the A’s, Jackson was hitting just .249 with 4 home runs and 39 RBIs. He’ll give the Red Sox some added versatility at the corner spots in the outfield. While he’s made 50 appearances at first base, he has played 46 games in the outfield, 28 in right, 20 in left. He’s also played three games at third base.
Given that J.D. Drew sprained a finger during his rehab outing with the Pawtucket Red Sox, the addition of Jackson gives the Red Sox some insurance in case Drew isn’t back right away.
In six career games at the Fens, the righty has hit .167 with no home runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases.
With rosters expanding today, it’s expected he’ll be with the club tonight when they wrap up the three-game set with the New York Yankees.
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