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December 6, 2007
Dodgers Sign Jones to 5th Largest Salary in the Majors
He's 30, he spells his name funny, when he's not injured he's tearing the cover off the ball, and he's got a gun for an arm. If he passes his physical Andruw Jones will be on the happy end of a $36.2 million, two-year contract to play for the Dodgers.
But should Dodger fans be happy about another outfielder, especially one who had such a miserable season last year (.222 batting average, .311 on-base percentage, 26 homers), particularly when the Blue Crew is stacked with youthful talent who seem ready to break thruw?
Rob McMillin, 6-4-2
Snore. More of the same from the Dodgers, who inexplicably seem to be falling for the same mistake the Angels did, shoring up one bad centerfield acquisition with (arguably) another. Now, it's possible that Jones is merely coming off a lone bad season, and that he will bounce back; but for Colletti's expensive potential bust, we may add the caveat that at least the (perhaps rotten and stinking) fish he landed has a two-year expiration date on it, a far better deal than the five years Gary Matthews, Jr. and Torii Hunter have.Rob Neyer, ESPN:
It wasn't long ago that only the very best players, the superstars, earned more than $15 million per season. But now Jones and Hunter are earning $18 million per season, and neither qualifies as a superstar.
At least defensively, Jones will help. A winner of 10 consecutive Gold Gloves, no matter how quirky that vote can get, figures to be an improvement over [Juan] Pierre in center.JC, Sabernomics:
This is the contract I have been waiting for. Andruw’s 2007 may have been the worst performance, relative to career numbers, by a player entering the final year of his contract in the history of baseball. I was curious as to what this would mean. In the end, I think that one year harmed his value, mainly because it scared away teams from signing a long-term deal.My thoughts? Bro is 30. He has so much experience under his belt already. He played hurt last year (instead of just going on the DL like he should have), mainly because he knew he was going to be a free agent this winter. Defense is hugely underrated and you shouldn't yawn at having a 10-time Golden Glove winner in center. But mostly it means that the Dodgers are serious about getting it together right now, and even if it's a flop, it won't hurt them for more than two years.
And then there's always the possibility that last year was the fluke (as opposed to his entire career) and the Dodgers will be stoked that they took a chance on a star who had one bad year.
Good job Dodgers, now get some damn pitching.
AP photo by Gregory Smith
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Gold Gloves are no measure of defense. Derek Jeter, by far the WORST defensive shortstop in the league, has 3.
Jones is a very good defensive CF though. Just saying, don't assume a player with a gold glove is any good defensively.
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He looks fat and slow in center field. The reason he has so many spectacular catches is because he can barely catchup to the ball...
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Dude has a tribal arm band tattoo, which automatically makes his decision making skills questionable.
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I really like this signing. Jones brings an air of success to the club that lacks for a true veteran presence in the outfield. He could help Kemp and Ethier, both pretty good defensively as it is, measurably in the outfield.
As for the price. Bah. Yeah, they overpaid, but the Dodgers have a lot of money. So, bah.
An outfield with Ethier in left, Jones in center and Kemp in right makes me laugh with giddy school girl delight. I just hope they don't get rid of Kemp and or Ethier to make way for Pierre, one of the worst center fielders in the game.
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I'm with Jeremy. Who cares what cost -- the bargain is in the short-term commitment. We're talking about a much better player, imo, than JD Drew, who somehow inked a 5-year $70 million deal with the Sox.
If the Dodgers gain a player in Jones who can hit 30 HRs and 100 RBIs AND actually find the ball in center field, look out. There's always a chance that a Kent or Martin or Loney or potentially Kemp and Ethier can hit 20-25 HRs and 100 RBIs, but it's been too long since the Dodgers have had more than one dependable run producer on their team.
Between fighting for a long-term deal on Carl Crawford or Aaron Rowand, I think the the Dodgers are getting away with one here, especially since Crawford and Rowand may both resign with their respective teams when all is said and done.
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Crawford would have cost a LOT more and the Dodgers already have plenty of speed. He could be the best player in baseball, but they needed pop. And pop they just got.
As for GG voting... sure Jeter may not have earned all of his trophies (or dates w/Mariah Carey), but when you win 10 gold gloves that's no accident.
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This was the deal I was hoping the Dodgers would make since I knew Jones would come on the cheap. I know $36M/2 is anything but "cheap", but you have to look at the two numbers and what they represent. The $36M is for the 5-tool player who was having a hall of fame career before last year's statistical swan dive. The two year term of the contract is the result of that swan dive. He's only 2 seasons removed from 41 HRs and 3 seasons from 51. Even in his worst season ever he had enough HRs and RBIs to lead the Dodgers. A lot is being made of Andruw losiing a step, being out of shape, and being uncoachable, but I think this 2-year deal is an audition for Jones to prove that his career has not peaked. In 2010 he will only be 32 years old which is the same age as Torii Hunter now, and he will be looking for a similar high-level, long-term contract. Not only do the Dodgers pick up a player with elite-level skills at a time when he must produce for his own sake, but they're also in a position now to make amends for last season's terrible signing, Juan Pierre. The Dodgers must jettison Pierre and that contract even if they have to eat some of the money. The hole in the defense Pierre creates in the outfield offsets what little impact he makes with the bat.
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This is a mediocre signing. Jones definitely looks like he's declining, especially after playing so hard for so long. If he was worth the money, no doubt Atlanta would've kept him but they did the smart thing. The only good thing here is that it's a 2 year contract, albeit an overpaid one.
If we're going to spend big we need to get better players with more consistent upside for a longer term; we need some stability and chemistry, more of all.
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a braves fan in LA here. It's not a bad deal. He had a shitty year last year offensively. It was the first season where he wasn't clutch and the team had to turn to other bats. luckily they landed Teixera.
Hopefully it's just a glitch in a good career. One thing is certain, though - his prowess in center field. In my life, no one has played better center field, more consistently than andruw. almost all of the braves coaches and commentators will agree, even post-trade. between he and torre (and furcal), this braves fan is warming up to the dodgers.