Last night the Rays traded Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for Matt Joyce. We have long said that Jackson needed to be moved and we like the addition of Joyce. But we have to admit, given the demand for young, cheap starting pitchers, we were a little surprised the Rays did not receive more in return.

Although we will never know exactly how the process played out, one thing that caught our attention is the lack of bidding by other teams. This is a direct result of the secretive nature of the Rays front office. Other teams leak information on a regular basis. One reason is to make it known that certain players are available and hope to encourage more teams to get involved in the bidding. The more teams involved, the higher the price. This is fundamentally different than the Rays approach.

Some teams encourage other GMs to come to them, while some teams are more proactive and approach other teams. The Rays appear to be more comfortable approaching other teams. This is not necessarily a bad thing. While keeping negotiations quiet, the Rays keep other teams from becoming involved in the player they covet.

In the end the Rays are able to get the player they want, but the overall package may be less.

Let's take a look at what is being said about the trade in the blogosphere...

Take 75 North feels this this is a terrible deal for the Tigers.

I do not see how this isn't a terrible deal for the Tigers. On the Tigers' end, they're shipping out Matt Joyce. He's, by nearly every account, an excellent outfielder...He's also a power-hitting left-handed bat, which the Tigers claim to see as a valuable skillset for the team. Finally, he's young and cheap...Losing Joyce is only part of what has me so upset about this trade, though. The second part is the Tigers are essentially choosing Gary Sheffield over him...So now the Tigers have three starters of questionable value in [Nate] Robertson, [Dontrelle] Willis and Jackson. Acquiring Jackson will probably allow them to move one of the others, but I see no reason to believe that will be a step forward...I think we're going to regret this trade almost immediately.

The Detroit Tigers Weblog does not see a benefit to the Tigers.

I'm having a hard time even writing about the deal...Joyce might flame out, but Jackson has yet to even burn...I don’t know how Jackson fits in, whether he will be a starter or reliever. Oh yeah, and he’s eligible for arbitration. Good luck Rick Knapp. I don’t get this one at all.

The Rays Party would have preferred a right-handed bat, but like Joyce and and the flexibility he provides.

The concern is why the Rays got another left-handed hitter instead of a right-hander that can hit against lefties, which was a weak spot last year. But the Rays see his potential and like they have control of him for six years. He also has options and can be sent down if the Rays feel he needs more time in the minors.

Bless You Boys would have rather seen Joyce traded for a closer.

This doesn't exactly bring clarity to a trade I'm still conflicted over, however. Joyce was too valuable to trade for a badly needed closer, yet dealing him for a middle-of-the-rotation starting pitcher (which I concede that the Tigers might need, as well) seemed preferable? Am I missing something here?

Tigers Homeplate sees this as a good deal for the Tigers and Joyce.

The good thing is that Jackson is only 25 years old and has pitched the last couple of seasons in the major leagues so he will being a little bit of experience with him...Joyce should get a crack at the starting lineup down in Tampa so I think it is a good trade for him as he would have been a fourth outfielder at best in the Tigers lineup.

Drays Bay says Joyce is an upgrade over Gabe Gross.

Gross is projected at 1.4 through 600 PAs and 3 runs in the field. That's 1.9 WAR total.

1.5 + (FLD in wins form) + (BAT in wins form) = WAR

For instance: (1.5+0.7+0.3) = 2.5

Detroit Tigers Thoughts says Andrew Friedman took Dave Dombrowski "to the cleaners."

This only works out if Jackson finds something and becomes a better pitcher. He's simply not a good pitcher right now, and that will need to work....I don't see how this trade makes sense. In doing this, Dombrowski is essentially betting on Carlos Guillen and Gary Sheffield playing 150 games apiece this year. I don't like those odds.

The Spot Starters takes a closer look at Jackson's 2008 campaign noting that he ranked near the bottom of the AL in a number of statistical categories.

Edwin Jackson seems to be the classic example of a guy who had a better record than he deserved in 2008. I hate to say that, I absolutely hate it...I don’t think Jackson is a lost cause. Let’s give the guy a shot. Even though he can be up-and-dow, he and his 95 mph+ heater could really do some damage against the opposition in 2009.

The Grand National Championships says Joyce could be Mark Kotsay and has a higher ceiling than Jackson.

Matt Joyce has a little bit of the sleeper to his skills. He played very well in his first half-season in Detroit. He will stike out about 120 times in a season. But his offensive game is very nice. 35 doubles, 25 homers, a passable eye with a slugging percentage that can threaten .500 is magical and rad...And he can play center field for if and when the Rays tire of B.J. Upton's saucy antics. Could he turn into Mark Kotsay? It's possible. But Matt Joyce's floor is a lot higher than Mr. Jackson's.

Rays from across the pond is not happy to lose Jackson but they understand it.

Obviously losing Jackson is a bit of a shame. He had his best year ever this season, and finally looked as though he was working through his inconsistancy issues. I think that Detroit have picked up a good player there. Still, with the pitching depth that the Rays have, any trade was always likely to involve either him or Andy Sonnanstine. And while Jackson is probably the more talented, I think I'd rather lose him that Sonny - as I've said many times this year, Sonny just has a great knack for winning.

Tiger Tales is not sold on the deal.

It was not a surprise to see Joyce traded since Jim Leyland commented about his laid back approach during the summer. I also understand that Leyland likes hard throwing (Jackson has a mid 90s fast ball) pitchers with high upsides. It could turn out to be a good deal but right now I'm not a fan of the trade.

The Wayne Fontes Experience says Jackson should fit right in.

My gut reaction wasn't a good one. Mainly due to the fact Jackson can't throw strikes. He's a base on balls machine. Hey! That means Jackson should fit right in with the rest of the Tigers' staff!...Rick Knapp is going to have his hands full straightening out ANOTHER Tigers pitcher who thinks the strike zone is just a suggestion...I'll have to sleep on this trade, maybe I'll feel more enthused about acquiring Jackson with a little more time. But right now, I'm still calling this off season "a small ball of MEH"