Chicago Cubs: Former Cubs’ outfielder Austin Jackson signs with the White Sox

With the Chicago Cubs already stacked in the outfield, it wasn’t a surprise to see them pass on the opportunity to bring Austin Jackson back for a second run with the club. They had already traded Chris Coghlan to make room for Dexter Fowler and signed Shane Victorino to add a little bit of veteran depth.

When right fielder Jorge Soler fell to his second injury of the season, the Chicago Cubs went out and acquired outfielder Austin Jackson from the Seattle Mariners. It was a strained left oblique that put Soler out of action for a while.

This was one of many trades that Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer completed with the Mariners dating back to winter of 2014 when they swapped outfielder Justin Ruggiano for prospect Matt Brazis.

The 26-year-old right-hander entered his first full season with the Cubs in 2015, climbing his way through three minor league affiliates. He’ll more than likely start with Double-A Tennessee but end up with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs before the season ends.

Veteran reliever Fernando Rodney was the second player to be traded between both organizations as he was picked up just a few days before Jackson landed in Chicago as well. Rodney was Joe Maddon‘s closer when they were members of the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Now according to CBS Chicago, Jackson will be returning to the Windy City but on the opposite end of the Crosstown Cup when he agreed to a one-year deal worth $5 million with the White Sox.

Before the deal was announced, it was rumored that the Baltimore Orioles were considering either Austin Jackson himself or former Cincinnati Red slugger Jay Bruce via MLB Daily Dish.

Baltimore is still looking for help in the outfield after dropping the ball only a few weeks ago. A deal between the Orioles and Dexter Fowler was reported but it turned out to be false when the soon-to-be 30-year-old joined the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Arizona.

Jackson, 29, appeared in as many games for the Cubs during the regular season. Through 72 at-bats, the speedy outfielder had only one big fly, 10 RBI, seven doubles, 17 hits and five stolen bases while hitting .236/.304/.375 with an OPS of .679.

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He went hitless against all three opponents in the N.L. Wild Card, Division and Championship Series but did come around to score in the 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 10.

Still, he’ll provide the South Siders with a reliable glove having fielded 1.000 percent in left, .900 in center and .957 in right. Jackson spent 98 percent of his career out in center field before joining the Cubs.