On Sunday night, the Chicago Cubs finally made the move to get rid of Edwin Jackson by designating him for assignment. The move allowed the team to promote former Washington Nationals closer Rafael Soriano from the minors. Soriano will be a much needed help to the Cubs’ bullpen. Getting rid of Jackson is addition by subtraction, as his roster spot was being wasted by not being used in games too often. Adding Soriano to the big-league bullpen is just an added bonus.

The decision to sign Jackson showed that the team was willing to spend money even though the product on the field was subpar, but as his play has shown, this was not money well spent. Even though he struggled mightily on the mound, Jackson was a great clubhouse guy. His impact as a veteran presence over the last few years might not be shown in stats, but it seems like Cubs fans might be the only ones happy to see him go.

This one is tough. Ejax is one of the best teammates I’ve had. Taught me so much over the years. The ultimate professional! Best of luck

— Anthony Rizzo (@ARizzo44) July 20, 2015

The biggest reason for keeping Jackson was the reluctance of the front office to have his big salary be turned into dead money. He was the second-highest paid Cub this season while arguably being the worst. He had another year left on his contract and wasn’t expected to get any better. The team made the right decision by valuing wins more than money owed to Jackson. His roster spot will be put to better use and should also be a learning experience for the front office.

The starting pitchers have been pitching really well as of late and have been going deep into games. The few innings of work that the relievers have been getting helps them out a lot by minimizing the number of outs they have to get each night. The addition of Soriano means that another (hopefully) reliable arm will be available out of the bullpen. Getting rid of Jackson might have taken longer than most expected but it is a crucial move that had to be done. This could be the first of many big moves the Cubs are set to make as July comes to a close.