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Thursday, April 02, 2009

Rangers make room for Jones by dumping Catalanotto

Dumping Catalanotto? Bayonne’s overcrowded…try Staten Island.

The Texas Rangers have cleared the way for Andruw Jones to make their roster by releasing Frank Catalanotto.

Jones, who won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves as Atlanta’s center fielder, recovered from a slow spring and is batting .293 with three home runs and six RBIs in 58 at-bats this spring. Wednesday’s move makes him the team’s fifth outfielder and a right-handed designated hitter.

Catalanotto hit .317 this spring, but he’s a lefty-hitting first baseman, outfielder and DH. The Rangers already have Chris Davis at first, David Murphy in left and Hank Blalock at DH. All hit left-handed.

Repoz Posted: April 02, 2009 at 01:58 AM | 33 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: rangers

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Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

   1. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: April 02, 2009 at 02:06 AM (#3121743)
Please release Marlon and sign Frank, Omar.
   2. The Adam Dunn Effort #44 Posted: April 02, 2009 at 02:21 AM (#3121752)
Jones hit a monster HR today in the top of the ninth, to unlock a 4-4 game. Maybe Rudy J is helping.
   3. Mayor Blomberg Posted: April 02, 2009 at 02:52 AM (#3121772)
And so what if it was off Matt Wilhite
   4. Chipper Jonestown Massacre Posted: April 02, 2009 at 03:10 AM (#3121783)
They're gonna have to dump a lot more than just Catalanotto to make room for Andruw's giant Shamu ass...
   5. I Love LA (OFF) Posted: April 02, 2009 at 03:22 AM (#3121794)
Can Omar just get rid of Marlon? Please.
   6. Srul Itza Posted: April 02, 2009 at 03:28 AM (#3121798)
If Andruw comes back to have even a mediocre year, it will be one of the more shocking developments this season.
   7. Orange & Blue Velvet Posted: April 02, 2009 at 03:44 AM (#3121805)
I love how the Mets tout Marlon's versatility even though he's a butcher in the OF and can't play second base anymore.

The Marlins cut Dallas McPherson. He's certainly intriguing, no?
   8. Biff isn't really an apt handle anymore Posted: April 02, 2009 at 03:48 AM (#3121812)
Oh please let Catalanotto be out of the AL for good.
   9. cardsfanboy Posted: April 02, 2009 at 03:50 AM (#3121813)
If Andruw comes back to have even a mediocre year, it will be one of the more shocking developments this season.

I disagree, he's a very competent talented player who has fallen off a cliff, still relatively young and if he is honest in his belief that he is trying to regain something then I can see him being worth a crap.

for the record, as a betting man, and a guy who honestly thinks Andruw Jones has been over rated for any of his career (at no point after 2000 has andruw ever had a better overall season than Edmons) I still don't think it's unlikely for him to eventually rebound.
   10. Mike Emeigh Posted: April 02, 2009 at 03:53 AM (#3121817)
The Marlins cut Dallas McPherson. He's certainly intriguing, no?


No. He can't make contact consistently enough to be successful anywhere outside the PCL.

-- MWE
   11. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: April 02, 2009 at 04:09 AM (#3121838)
No. He can't make contact consistently enough to be successful anywhere outside the PCL.

Are you talking about Andruw Jones or McPherson? Catalanotto can make contact but that's about it.
   12. Danny Posted: April 02, 2009 at 04:26 AM (#3121851)
Over 90% of Catalanotto's career PA have come against RHP. Is that close to the record (or at least the modern record) for guys with 4000+ PA?
   13. Good cripple hitter Posted: April 02, 2009 at 04:49 AM (#3121856)
Rance Mulliniks is at 92.4% in 4089 PA. I'm not sure if that's the record, but he was the first long-lasting platoon player who sprung to mind.

Edit: he's just short on PA, but John Lowenstein is over 90% too.
   14. Srul Itza At Home Posted: April 02, 2009 at 07:44 AM (#3121896)
I disagree, he's a very competent talented player who has fallen off a cliff

So how many people who fall off a cliff get up and recover?
   15. jyjjy Posted: April 02, 2009 at 09:28 AM (#3121900)
Cats can fall very far and walk away just fine usually.
   16. Avoid running at all times.-S. Paige Posted: April 02, 2009 at 10:37 AM (#3121905)
Wile E. Coyote is probably the best comp for someone who had fallen off a cliff and recovered countless times. But I don't see a lot of Wile E. in Andruw.

In a way, Wile E. Coyote is the grittiest WB cartoon ever. And Daffy Duck was the Rickey of the group. SO So great.
   17. calhounite Posted: April 02, 2009 at 11:35 AM (#3121912)
there's been a lot of clap re/ falling off cliffs lately. Like's it's no big deal. Like you can look around for some dude and ask what ya gonna do aboug it. "It" being lauin there in a pile of broken bones.

here's the thing about cliff remedies.

If some drunk, dumb bastard recommends the trip down

just say no
   18. AJM Posted: April 02, 2009 at 11:37 AM (#3121913)
Please release Marlon and sign Frank, Omar.

Yes.
   19. jwb Posted: April 02, 2009 at 01:27 PM (#3121950)
So the Rangers get Andruw Jones for slightly over the minimum, but have to eat a $6MM contract to free a roster spot. Mmm. Tasty.
   20. Harris Posted: April 02, 2009 at 05:42 PM (#3122279)
well....hopefully it puts to bed yesterday's rumor that the phils were interested in Andruw.
   21. cardsfanboy Posted: April 02, 2009 at 07:00 PM (#3122389)
So how many people who fall off a cliff get up and recover?

ignoring PED rumors
Mark McGwire, Reggie Jackson(lot older at the time though),Gary Gaetti, Reggie Sanders, Fred Lynn. Now none of them were as drastic as Andruw Jones except maybe McGwire, but still it's evidence that players can have an off year or two and rebound. Again I wouldn't bet on it, but it wouldn't be impossible. Heck if he could rebound to a 100 ops+ that would have to qualify as a success.
   22. Styles P. Deadball Posted: April 02, 2009 at 07:17 PM (#3122412)
Wile E. Coyote is the grittiest WB cartoon ever


I enjoy the idea that as a kid, I rooted for the roadrunner. Now that I'm all old and jaded, I'd love to see Wile E get ahold of that little ###### just once.

Andres Galarraga had a few really down years before he went to Colorado, if I remember. Of course, Coors pre-humidor may cancel out any serious inclusion.
   23. Harris Posted: April 02, 2009 at 07:21 PM (#3122421)
Didn't Galaragga have some form of cancer, that pretty much KO'd him and he had to recover? It doesn't make it less impressive, but as silly as this sounds....

it's easier to recover from an illness than to recover from aging I'd think. You can beat cancer. Nobody's found a fountain of youth.
   24. RJ in TO Posted: April 02, 2009 at 07:24 PM (#3122426)
Didn't Galaragga have some form of cancer, that pretty much KO'd him and he had to recover? It doesn't make it less impressive, but as silly as this sounds....

He did, but that was once he went from Colorado to Atlanta - that was his second comeback. The first one (when he signed with Colorado after sucking hugely with St. Louis) is the monstrous cliff recovery (from a non-injury caused cliff dive).
   25. cardsfanboy Posted: April 02, 2009 at 07:30 PM (#3122438)
If I remember correctly Galaragga had some type of nagging injury in St Louis, and after he left I wrote a letter to my sister that stated we are going to regret losing him.
   26. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:01 PM (#3122478)
Eric Davis had a nice comeback, even before his cancer. .183/.290/.292 in 1994 to .287/.394/.523 in 1996.
   27. Famous Original Joe C Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:06 PM (#3122482)
So how many people who fall off a cliff get up and recover?

Mike Lowell's 2005 season.
   28. Steve Treder Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:21 PM (#3122503)
Now none of them were as drastic as Andruw Jones except maybe McGwire

You're kidding, right? None of them, including McGwire, were remotely as drastic as Andruw Jones. Not within the same continent.

players can have an off year or two and rebound

They can, and do. But to describe Jones' cliff-dive as an "off year" is to vastly understate it. Jones's catastrophic decline from 2006 to 2008 was among the handful of most extreme ever displayed in the history of the sport. It isn't quite Steve Blass mode, but it's close. It's definitely Zoilo Versalles territory.

Jones might come back, but if he does it will be one of the most daunting comebacks ever presented. It could happen, but I wouldn't bet on it.
   29. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:23 PM (#3122510)
I know it's spring and all, but Andruw Jones did look good this spring.
   30. DL from MN Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:25 PM (#3122513)
Luckily Andruw doesn't have to come all the way back to reach "useful".
   31. Bob Dernier Cri Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:33 PM (#3122525)
Galarraga also suffered an unusual "Scrabble shuffle" injury that left his name almost impossible to spell.
   32. cardsfanboy Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:50 PM (#3122541)
They can, and do. But to describe Jones' cliff-dive as an "off year" is to vastly understate it. Jones's catastrophic decline from 2006 to 2008 was among the handful of most extreme ever displayed in the history of the sport. It isn't quite Steve Blass mode, but it's close. It's definitely Zoilo Versalles territory.

Jones might come back, but if he does it will be one of the most daunting comebacks ever presented. It could happen, but I wouldn't bet on it.


I haven't seen Andruw this season, but one of the reasons that I think it's possible is that I fully do think that much of his decline was due to his weight gain, and if he fixes that problem, it's akin to recovering from an injury. Again I agree I don't think he is going to fully bounce back at all but I don't think it's a monumental task for him to recover. (historical yes)
   33. Steve Treder Posted: April 02, 2009 at 08:58 PM (#3122553)
I fully do think that much of his decline was due to his weight gain, and if he fixes that problem, it's akin to recovering from an injury.

I agree that it's pretty obvious his weight was at the heart of the problem. But it wasn't as though he suddenly got fat in 2008; he'd been carrying around too many extra pounds for many years. And the problem with that was the strain it put on his knees, resulting in the knee surgery (actually he had two knee surgeries in '08, didn't he?).

Anyway, yes, sure, a new svelte Andruw with surgically repaired knees is a much different guy from the one we saw last year. But my worry is that surgically repaired knees have a way of going bad again, and people with years of weight problems have a way of seeing the weight creep back up. We shall see. I've always been a fan of his, and hope he can get it at least part of the way together, but rarely in history have we seen a train wreck as grisly as this one get back up and rolling very well ever again.

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