Didn't see that one coming.

Rios and Jones in the same OF?

Head-scratcher. I don't hate this, I just don't get it.

To me, it just looks like Chicago grabbed their backup plan early. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them release Andruw in spring training, and just eat the 500K.

Really? When I saw the headline I had no idea who "Jones" was. For a moment I questioned if Jacques Jones was still hiding somewhere in the NL West.

Head-scratcher. I don't hate this, I just don't get it.

That's my reaction.

I knew it wasn't Chipper, so Randy Jones was my first thought.

He'll only be 33 next season, so it's not too surprising some team would take a chance on Jones, although it seems unlikely he'll regain any of his prior form, based on what he's done lately. Perhaps if he reported in the best shape of his life . . .

To me, it just looks like Chicago grabbed their backup plan early.

They've added several marginal talents in the past few weeks. None of them are bad moves by themselves, but they don't add up to much.

Teahen - around $4 million, less $1.5 million from Kansas City = $2.5 million
Kotsay - $1.5 million
Vizquel - $1.375 million
Jones - $500K

I guess when your minor-league system isn't producing bench talent, you've got to pay market price for bench talent.

This was noted elsewhere, but perhaps the most interesting thing about this signing is that Jones is a Scott Boras client. The White Sox hadn't negotiated with Boras in years - it's interesting that they would break their self-imposed Boras boycott for Jones.

Bah, I was thinking "Jones" was some random LOOGY.

In my OOTP baseball league, I sign almost every Andruw Jones-type of player every off-season. It's just so tempting! "He's still the same player who hit 50 homeruns.... 5 years ago!"

As I recall, Kenny has always had a little Andruw crush. For several years in Atl, the rumor was Andruw going to the WS for a handful of prospects.

Kenny always gets his man. Sometimes it takes a half-decade, but Kenny always gets his man.

I'll bet that they open the season with some sort of Kotsay/Jones job share at a corner, maybe RF. They're short an OF and don't have a lot of money to spend, so I'll be they just give it a whirl and see how it goes. It's better than the plan they had for CF last year.

It's better than the plan they had for CF last year.

I think that's the textbook definition of damning with faint praise.

It's better than the plan they had for CF last year.

And a kick in the ass is better than a kick in the nuts.

Who was rumored to have been offered by the White Sox 5 years ago, any ideas? I don't recall rumors from that time. That'd have been right before his 51 HR season...

Right. What I'm saying though isn't necessarily that the Sox should open with Kotsay/Jones in LF, but that I think they will. There's a precedent.

Who was rumored to have been offered by the White Sox 5 years ago, any ideas? I don't recall rumors from that time. That'd have been right before his 51 HR season...

Back in 2004 there were rumors swirling that the teams would swap Andruw for Magglio Ordonez. Schuerholz later said the whole thing was silly and never seriously discussed. Popular opinion on the Braves' fansites is that the Braves and White Sox conspired to leak false trade rumors in order to inspire the clubs. The Braves were struggling at the time, and launched a stirring comeback shortly after the rumors started.

Jon Heyman had this rumor in 2006:

The Braves are shopping Andruw Jones around, hoping to land young pitching in return for the eight-time Gold Glove center fielder. Atlanta asked the White Sox for right-hander Brandon McCarthy but were rejected. They are still in talks with the Red Sox for a package that may include left-hander Jon Lester, who is 5-1 with a 3.49 ERA during his rookie season.

I knew it wasn't Chipper, so Randy Jones was my first thought.

I was thinking Barry, which means (1) my age is showing, and (2) my mind operates very strangely.

Well, I guess Randy Jones would peg me as even older...

Atlanta asked the White Sox for right-hander Brandon McCarthy but were rejected.

Well, there's a never-was blockbuster that would've done jacksquat for both teams...

Cleon would have been a better signing than Andruw.

Yeah, I like the McCarthy trade that actually happened much better.

Didn't see that one coming.

Truth.

There's also this, but it's just from some guy on a message board, so it's barely worth mocking:

As for the comment about not trading EITHER Jones, the Braves would be smart to trade Larry Jones, he's way too brittle in his old age and Betemit would shine with the full time gig.

They are still in talks with the Red Sox for a package that may include left-hander Jon Lester, who is 5-1 with a 3.49 ERA during his rookie season.

Yikes, this would have been bad.

Is he still a plus CFer?

They are still in talks with the Red Sox for a package that may include left-hander Jon Lester, who is 5-1 with a 3.49 ERA during his rookie season.

Yikes, this would have been bad.

Not to worry. Texas would have ruined his career, so you wouldn't know what you had given up.

Not to worry. Texas would have ruined his career, so you wouldn't know what you had given up.

This would have been to the Braves, they probably wouldn't have ruined his career.

This would have been to the Braves, they probably wouldn't have ruined his career.

No, I don't know where I came up with Texas?

Is he still a plus CFer?

In the Layne Bryant sense.

the dodgers are still on the hook for a bunch of his contract, so he can just take his pie stuffing face anywhere, sign for peanuts and take some hacks and not give a darn, which is pretty much what he did in L.A.

pfeh.

I think he signed a 2 year deal with the Dodgers. As in, a deal that expired after this season.

There's deferred money and stuff from negotiations last offseason, but I think the contract itself is over.

I assume this officially ends the second Scotty Pods era?

Also, I see that Dewayne Wise signed a minor league deal with the Phillies... Ozzie will still try to play him next year.

Andruw Jones reworked his contract so he's still getting about $3 million from the Dodgers per year until 2014.

Andruw Jones of-dh
1 year/$0.5M (2010)

* 1 year/$0.5M (2010)
o signed by Chicago White Sox as a free agent 11/25/09
o performance bonuses worth additional $1M
* 1 year/$0.5M (2009)
o signed by Texas as a free agent 2/9/09 (minor-league contract)
o salary of $0.5M in majors (earnings offset against money due Jones from LA Dodgers)
o performance bonuses: $75,000 for 340, 380 PAs; $0.125M each for 420, 460, 500, 540 PAs; $0.175M each for 580, 620 PAs
o award bonuses: $0.2M for Comeback Player of the Year; $0.1M for MVP; $50,000 for WS MVP or All Star selection; $25,000 for Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, LCS MVP
o contract purchased by Texas 4/5/09
* 2 years/$36.2M (2008-09)
o signed by LA Dodgers as a free agent 12/07
o $12.2M signing bonus ($5.1M in 2008, $2.1M in 2009, $5M in 2010)
o 08:$9M, 09:$15M
o no-trade clause
o perks: suite on road
o with 1 year and $21.1M remaining on his deal, Jones & the Dodgers reworked his contract 1/09, with union approval
+ Jones receives benefit of a trade or possible free agency
+ Dodgers to defer as much as $12M in salary over six years (2009-14), without interest
o released by LA Dodgers 1/15/09

the contract itself is over

see post 35. it ain't over til the fat lady gets every penny she signed for. at least the dodgers aren't paying interest on the deferral.

Well, yes, but does the deferred money have anything to do with a willingness to sign with anyone for peanuts? Like, if BJ Ryan signs for 500K with somebody, that team pays 500K and the Jays pay the difference between that and his contract with them. So if he was slated to make $10M, he still does, just that 500K comes from his new team and 9.5 from the Jays. But I think Andruw now gets his money from the Sox plus everything owed him by the Dodgers this year as deferred money.

So it's different. Unless I'm mistaken about how deferred money is treated.

This would have been to the Braves, they probably wouldn't have ruined his career.

No, but Texas still would've. That's just how destructive Texas is.

Well, yes, but does the deferred money have anything to do with a willingness to sign with anyone for peanuts?

dude, this is splitting hairs. the dodgers are the ones who are paying for andruw to keep pretending he's a quality major leaguer, that's all. if you want to say he's not under contract anymore, fine.

his portion of the contract has expired, the dodgers have released him from it. but they aren't getting any relief for their end of the deal.

what i meant was that because the dodgers are paying him so much money, its easy for other teams to sign him to the minimum and get a look-see and he's exploiting it. i'm not sure what he thinks he's doing other than proving what everybody knows, which is that he is crummy anymore.

boras doesn't mind helping andruw find another sucker, because it's all upside for him. if jones rebounds, he becomes valuable again and boras can make a score.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them release Andruw in spring training, and just eat the 500K.

Not if Andruw gets there first.

As I recall, Kenny has always had a little Andruw crush. For several years in Atl, the rumor was Andruw going to the WS for a handful of prospects.

At one point, the rumor was Andruw Jones for Javier Vazquez.

It all worked out in the end.

The Jones that popped up in my mind was Alfornia "Al" Jones, a reliever the Sox rushed to the majors in the mid-80s, claiming he was going to be the next Goose Gossage. I still have his baseball card, I think, but needless to say his career did not put him on a track to the Hall of Fame.

As for the signing, Andruw's been done for three years. He still shows some occasional home run power, but does nothing else that would warrant playing him in place of a real major leaguer.

what i meant was that because the dodgers are paying him so much money, its easy for other teams to sign him to the minimum and get a look-see and he's exploiting it. i'm not sure what he thinks he's doing other than proving what everybody knows, which is that he is crummy anymore.

There's no splitting hairs here because the only reason teams have been able to sign him cheaply for a look-see is because he isn't good enough or likely enough to be good for them to be willing to pay him more. Andruw has more than enough incentive to seek out the highest available contract. That 500K plus bonuses is the best he can do is entirely a reflection of his abilities and has nothing at all to do with what the Dodgers are paying him.

I knew it wasn't Chipper, so Randy Jones was my first thought.

I'd listen if the White Sox called.

Rage, rage, Andruw.

Andruw has more than enough incentive to seek out the highest available contract.

???

i think we are in agreement but from different directions, or maybe i'm just not expressing myself well. i'm typing this on thanksgiving after a big meal and a couple of glasses of wine, so walk with me.
what incentive are you talking about? his tenure with the dodgers and now texas has pretty much demonstrated his worth to MLB. he isn't going to get anything better than chump change from any team. he stinks. he isn't close to being andruw jones ca 2003 or whatever, unless he decides to start working out and eating grilled chicken and salad and protein shakes.
but, since he is getting millions from the dodgers, he'll go ahead and sign with anybody who will have him because he can afford to continue to live in the style to which he is accustomed, which means eating at mcdonalds and dogging his workouts. that teams aren't willing to pay him more is irrelevant to him as long as he is getting $$$ from the dodgers. that's my impression.
based on his performance, what do you think? that he's desperately trying to get better and its just not working out? what?

him signing with anybody has everything to do with what the dodgers are paying him. i think he's in denial. he still thinks he's ANDRUW JONES. maybe he just wants to play. i wouldn't be surprised if he tries to hang on after he stops getting money from the dodgers. he won't even be 40 then.

but, since he is getting millions from the dodgers, he'll go ahead and sign with anybody who will have him because he can afford to continue to live in the style to which he is accustomed, which means eating at mcdonalds and dogging his workouts. that teams aren't willing to pay him more is irrelevant to him as long as he is getting $$$ from the dodgers. that's my impression.
based on his performance, what do you think? that he's desperately trying to get better and its just not working out? what?

I just don't get what you're saying at all. He gets millions from the Dodgers until 2014 or whenever whether he signs with somebody else or not. And he had millions in the bank to allow him to live in the style to which he is accustomed even if he didn't have that. Yes, he signs with whoever will show him a little cash. But only because it's the best he can do. The money from the Dodgers has absolutely nothing to do with it.

I guess you think that if he didn't have the money from the Dodgers coming, he would want to get in shape and play better to get a better contract from someone else. I completely disagree.

Aargh!

The point on the money and the Dodgers:

Last year his 2-year contract with the Dodgers was, by MLB/MLBPA rules, still "in force" in a sense. There was no reason for Andruw to ask for more, no reason for a team to offer him more because Andruw could only make as much as the Dodgers contract (unless some team offered him more than the Dodger contract). Anything the Rangers paid over league minimum would simply reduce the amount the Dodgers owed.

Sorry, it's a screwy example. Here's a clearer one. A player signs with a team for 1/$5 M. The team cuts him after a horrible April and May making him an FA. But that 1/$5 is still in force. Not only does the signing team still owe him the rest of the $5 M, the player can't make more than $5 M in the season. His new team signs him for the minimum (say $250,000 for the remainder of the season) and that $250,000 is subtracted from what the signing team owes. If the new team for some stupid reason offered the guy $1 M for the rest of the season instead of the required $250,000, that extra just gets deducted from what the original signing team owed and the player still only makes $5 M for the season.

That's not the situation Jones is in. The Dodgers owe him a ton of deferred money, but whatever he gets paid by another team is on top of that. So he had incentive to find the best deal he could and interested teams had reason to offer him more than other interested teams to attract his services.

So, yes, the low amount of this deal means that Jones couldn't get a better deal elsewhere -- at least not from a competitive team. No, that's not surprising but the amount of money the Dodgers are paying him is absolutely meaningless. Last year it wasn't absolutely meaningless because neither Andruw nor a team had any reason to negeotiate for anything over league minimum.

Anyway, I assume he'll get a good chunk of time at DH.

Aargh! That was my position! Usurper!

Two years ago, 30-year-old Andruw Jones' closest comp was Frank Robinson (the third year in a row in which this was the case).

Now, it is Dale Murphy...another Atlanta center fielder who had a foot-and-a-half in the hall of fame, and then dropped like a lead balloon.

This is a waste of $500K for any team that signs him. He has played a full season over the last two seasons (157 games). He has hit .190 with an OPS of .665 during that time.

He has hit .190 with an OPS of .665 during that time.


Let's not forget the craptalistic defense during that time too. Flyballs seems to run away from the sound of his slow stomping.