Giants reel in Austin Jackson with 2-year, $6M contract
The San Francisco Giants added another piece to their outfield for the upcoming season by signing Austin Jackson to a two-year contract worth $6 million, the team announced.
The almost-31-year-old Jackson has been something of a journeyman of late, playing for five different teams since the beginning of 2014. He joins a San Francisco outfield consisting of Hunter Pence and the newly acquired Andrew McCutchen, and could open the campaign as the starting center fielder or share duties with prospect Steven Duggar.
Jackson appeared in only 85 games with the Cleveland Indians last season, hitting .318/.387/.482 with seven home runs. His most notable play was this bananas catch when he robbed Hanley Ramirez of a home run at Fenway Park:
The type of catch you'll tell your grandchildren about.
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 2, 2017
Ladies and gentlemen, Austin Jackson. pic.twitter.com/xK2rr0QV6U
However, Jackson struggled in the 2017 postseason, going 3-for-14 with six strikeouts across five games.
Jackson's best years came as a member of the Detroit Tigers, where over parts of five seasons he hit .277/.342/.413 with 46 home runs, 140 doubles, 43 triples, and 111 stolen bases.