Oh, this is hard to take but easy to explain.
The Des Moines Register reports that the Cubs No. 5 prospect, Brett Jackson, is missing in action.
The paper reports that Jackson, 24, landed on the disabled list late last month with a quad strain. He has been missing from the team since then, and now is "no longer listed on the Iowa team roster."
The Iowa Cubs manager is quoted as saying all he knows is that Jackson is not here with the team. Unless granted permission by the club, a player is AWOL. Normally, disabled players stay with the team to continue their supervised rehab with the team's medical staff.
It has been a horrible, regressive year for Jackson. He was
hitting just .223 (48-for-215) with seven doubles, three home runs and
23 RBIs in 61 games in AAA.
Jackson has struck out 77 times in 215 at-bats this season. He fanned 158 times at
the plate last year, one shot of tying Iowa’s team record for a single
season.
Jackson made his major league debut last season, hitting just .175 with six doubles and four home runs in 44 games with Chicago. He was also a strike out machine. He was once considered to be the Cubs center fielder of the future. A potential middle of the order, five tool player.
It may be speculation, but this seems out of character for Jackson. But he may have picked up this new behavior from the last frustrated and disgruntled Iowa Cub, Ian Stewart. Stewart whined, moaned and pouted his way to a suspension then eventual release (with pay) after batting a miserable .194 in AAA this season. Stewart was a bust when the Cubs traded for him. He was an injured bust when the Cubs, for no apparent reason, re-signed him this spring to a multimillion dollar contract.
It may be a ploy by Jackson for the Cubs to trade or release him. The writing may be on the wall that the new front office sees no major league future for him. But his current performance may leave doubt in other clubs what Jackson's future is going to be this year or next. A change of scenery or organization may do him good. Or not. Stewart caught on with the Dodgers AAA team. He continues to hit around .200.
