Giants trade Jackson, Gearrin to Rangers
The Texas Rangers have acquired outfielder Austin Jackson, reliever Cory Gearrin, and minor-league right-hander Jason Bahr from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the teams announced Sunday.
Jackson, 31, is coming off a bounce-back year as a part-time player with the Cleveland Indians and signed a two-year, $6-million deal with the Giants this past offseason. The journeyman has failed to replicate his 2017 brilliance, posting a .242/.309/.295 slash line over 59 games prior to the trade.
Jackson has been told not to report to the Rangers for a couple days as the team pursues another potential trade involving the outfielder, according to reports from Jon Heyman of Fancred and Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.
Meanwhile, Gearrin gives the Rangers some bullpen depth in an attempt by San Francisco to get some luxury-tax relief. The right-hander owns a 4.20 ERA over 30 innings this season, and is due the balance of his $1.675-million salary.
With room on the 40-man roster, the Giants purchased the contracts of 24-year-old outfield prospect Steven Duggar and 28-year-old reliever Ray Black.
Duggar impressed out of spring training, but wound up not making the club as San Francisco had a deep collection of outfielders. With Jackson coming off the roster, Duggar's promotion from Triple-A - where he owns a .775 OPS with four homers and 11 stolen bases - made sense.
By taking on roughly $5.25 million in payroll obligations, the Rangers also received Bahr, a 23-year-old pitching prospect. The right-hander ranks as the 27th-best prospect in a weak Giants farm system, per MLB Pipeline. In 16 innings as a starter at High-A, Bahr is authoring a 1.69 ERA.