An anniversary of two sorts took place on Saturday, and they both had to do with the same thing. One I like, and the other still sends shudders down the spines of Dodger fans everywhere.
For starters, it's the anniversary of me starting this site seven years ago. I grew up a Dodger fan, I love to write, so I figured, What the heck? Combine them both. Seven years later, here I am, and I still love doing this.
The flip side? It's also the anniversary of the Dodgers' infamous free agent deal with Andruw Jones. It's a marriage that was supposed to last for two years, but thanks to one of the worst seasons anyone has ever seen, he was mercifully sent packing after the 2008 season. No worries, as he still pocketed $36.2 million in a deal that was deferred through last season.
Yes, that's right - the Dodgers were STILL paying off Jones's contract through this past season. At least that finally ran out.
Oh by the way, the Jones signing was my very first post on this site. Looking back now, it's just laughable at some of reasons why I was excited:
* "the big bat to fill the middle of the order has hopped on the train"
* "Hopefully Jones can right some of his hitting holes and get back to his old self. It's a chance definitely worth taking."
* "it's nice to see the Dodgers sign someone in his prime"
OK, so like Jones in the '08 season, that commentary was a giant swing-and-a-miss. If you recall at the time, the Dodgers had young players like Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Russell Martin looking to take the next step. They also still had Jeff Kent, Juan Pierre, and Rafael Furcal. So there was reason to be excited with Jones coming in to add more pop.
Instead, he hit .158 with three homers, 14 RBIs, and 76 strikeouts in 75 games. He was just so, so, so, so, so, SO bad.
Which leads me to this point: signing Jones was a great move by the Dodgers. Why? Because that led to a trade later in the season for some guy named Manny Ramirez, who went on to have one of the best end of season runs in baseball history by hitting .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs and in 53 games.
Granted, he may have had a little help in getting those numbers... but it was sure fun to watch while it lasted.
Showing posts with label Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jones. Show all posts
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Manny's back, so roster moves are made
With Manny Ramirez official back from his 50-game suspension, the Dodgers have juggled some spots on their roster. Here's the breakdown:
Back: Manny Ramirez
Sent to Triple-A: Eric Stults and A.J. Ellis
Designated for Assignment: Mitch Jones
Stults and Ellis will both be everyday starters while in Albuquerque. For Stults, he will have an eye towards regaining the fifth-starter spot, or he will be good trade bait for the upcoming trade deadline at the end of July.
Ellis will get regular work in preparation for a September callup. And with the way Russell Martin has been hitting (well, not hitting) this year, you never know if opportunity knocks for him.
As for Jones, he falls into that 10-day window in which he can be claimed by another club, traded, or released. If all of that fails, he can return to Albuquerque, where he has 21 homers.
What should be noted is that there will still be another move to be made once Friday comes. It has more to do with Claudio Vargas and if the Dodgers see him contributing with L.A. Also, Hong-Chih Kuo (remember him?) may be transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.
The scenarios are pretty confusing, so click on the link and read the article if you want to figure it all out.
Back: Manny Ramirez
Sent to Triple-A: Eric Stults and A.J. Ellis
Designated for Assignment: Mitch Jones
Stults and Ellis will both be everyday starters while in Albuquerque. For Stults, he will have an eye towards regaining the fifth-starter spot, or he will be good trade bait for the upcoming trade deadline at the end of July.
Ellis will get regular work in preparation for a September callup. And with the way Russell Martin has been hitting (well, not hitting) this year, you never know if opportunity knocks for him.
As for Jones, he falls into that 10-day window in which he can be claimed by another club, traded, or released. If all of that fails, he can return to Albuquerque, where he has 21 homers.
What should be noted is that there will still be another move to be made once Friday comes. It has more to do with Claudio Vargas and if the Dodgers see him contributing with L.A. Also, Hong-Chih Kuo (remember him?) may be transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.
The scenarios are pretty confusing, so click on the link and read the article if you want to figure it all out.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
More roster shuffling
In: A.J. Ellis and Mitch Jones
Out: Blake DeWitt (again) and Jamie Hoffmann
The reason? The Dodgers want DeWitt and Hoffmann to play everyday as they continue their development in Triple-A Albuquerque.
Ellis is supposed to be there until the eventual return of Eric Stults, who might be back from the DL this Sunday. That's already happened to Ellis once this year, as he was up temporarily before Hiroki Kuroda was back from the injured list.
The story for Jones is a good one, as he's a 31-year-old journeyman with no big league experience. He was promoted by the Yankees under Joe Torre in 2006, but never entered the game. In fact, he didn't even get to take batting practice, as it was rained out that day. With plenty of doubt whether he'd ever make it back or not, it finally happened.
He entered Tuesday night's game against the A's as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, but struck out. Oh well. With 21 home runs for Albuquerque this season, maybe he'll get a long ball soon.
Out: Blake DeWitt (again) and Jamie Hoffmann
The reason? The Dodgers want DeWitt and Hoffmann to play everyday as they continue their development in Triple-A Albuquerque.
Ellis is supposed to be there until the eventual return of Eric Stults, who might be back from the DL this Sunday. That's already happened to Ellis once this year, as he was up temporarily before Hiroki Kuroda was back from the injured list.
The story for Jones is a good one, as he's a 31-year-old journeyman with no big league experience. He was promoted by the Yankees under Joe Torre in 2006, but never entered the game. In fact, he didn't even get to take batting practice, as it was rained out that day. With plenty of doubt whether he'd ever make it back or not, it finally happened.
He entered Tuesday night's game against the A's as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, but struck out. Oh well. With 21 home runs for Albuquerque this season, maybe he'll get a long ball soon.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Jones is sent packing
After trying to find some chump team that would trade for Andruw Jones, the Dodgers did the only logical thing left to do in releasing him. So ends one of the worst seasons by any player in Dodgers history.
I've talked in about a million previous posts about how pathetic he is, so there's no need to rehash it. The bottom line is that he's gone! It doesn't matter where he goes or how long it takes to pay off the remainder of his contract, there was just no way on Earth he could have thrived in LA.
So far, the only team I've heard being somewhat interested in him is his old one, the Braves. It makes sense since there's a comfort zone with him there, so they may roll the dice and kick in the $400,000 it would take to sign him.
I've talked in about a million previous posts about how pathetic he is, so there's no need to rehash it. The bottom line is that he's gone! It doesn't matter where he goes or how long it takes to pay off the remainder of his contract, there was just no way on Earth he could have thrived in LA.
So far, the only team I've heard being somewhat interested in him is his old one, the Braves. It makes sense since there's a comfort zone with him there, so they may roll the dice and kick in the $400,000 it would take to sign him.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Chipper Jones is fuming... which could benefit the Dodgers
Interesting little article I found in the LA Times talking about the Chipper Jones situation in Atlanta. For a quick review, he's pretty pissed about the Braves not resigning John Smoltz, his longtime teammate. He's also not sure what direction the team is going considering they've missed out on other big names like Jake Peavy and Rafael Furcal.
He made this comment about the upcoming season:
"This is my last year under contract with Atlanta. And this last 24 hours certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by me. I haven’t been offered an extension. If we’re 15 games out in July or August, I doubt they’re just going to let me become a free agent and get nothing in return."
So there you have it. Keep in mind that this is just all talk, and once some time passes by and other thing happen, he could totally change his tune. But at 37-years-old, the Braves might try to continue the youth movement by moving him and getting some value while they can. And the Dodgers could always use his bat.
I'm just thinking out loud here, but I'm not sure where they'd put him. I mean, when he's healthy (a huge IF these days), he can flat out hit. There's always a spot for those guys. He plays 3rd base, but the Dodgers just signed Casey Blake to a 3-year deal, so it's hard to imagine benching him. Another option is 1st base where James Loney is now, but he's their future and is only getting better.
It's all just pure speculation at this point, so don't read too much into it. This is one of those rumors you can store away for a few months then revisit at some point.
He made this comment about the upcoming season:
"This is my last year under contract with Atlanta. And this last 24 hours certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by me. I haven’t been offered an extension. If we’re 15 games out in July or August, I doubt they’re just going to let me become a free agent and get nothing in return."
So there you have it. Keep in mind that this is just all talk, and once some time passes by and other thing happen, he could totally change his tune. But at 37-years-old, the Braves might try to continue the youth movement by moving him and getting some value while they can. And the Dodgers could always use his bat.
I'm just thinking out loud here, but I'm not sure where they'd put him. I mean, when he's healthy (a huge IF these days), he can flat out hit. There's always a spot for those guys. He plays 3rd base, but the Dodgers just signed Casey Blake to a 3-year deal, so it's hard to imagine benching him. Another option is 1st base where James Loney is now, but he's their future and is only getting better.
It's all just pure speculation at this point, so don't read too much into it. This is one of those rumors you can store away for a few months then revisit at some point.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Mercifully, Andruw Jones may soon be gone
What a difference a year can make. Or should I say, What a difference one LOUSY year can make.
The debacle known as the Andruw Jones signing looks to have finally come to an end. Jones has agreed to defer much of his salary left to spread out over the course of up to six years. In return, he will be either traded or released before the start of Spring Training. It could happen this month.
This ends what will go down as perhaps the worst free agent signing in baseball history. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Think about the expectations that were brought when he was signed. To refresh your memory, he was supposed to be a power bat in the middle of the order the Dodgers desperately needed, and give Gold Glove-caliber defense in center.
Instead, he only played 75 games, battling a weight problem (in other words, he was fat) that most likely led to a tear in his right knee. His final tally on the year was absolutely PATHETIC: .158 AVG, .256 OBP, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 76 K. And it's not like he could fall back on his used-to-be amazing defensive ability because he had a hard time tracking down balls he used to get to with ease in the past.
It's really hard to believe just how awful he really was. It's hard to put into perspective. I can't think of anyone that has ever signed a rich contract like he did (2 years/$36 million) and gave them literally nothing in return. Embarrassing.
Keep in mind that he hasn't actually been sent anywhere yet, but it will happen. Now that he'll be off to a "fresh start" somewhere else, the Dodgers have even more money to play around with. It's estimated that this move frees up $12 million, which goes along with the nearly $50 million opened up from the other 16 free agents that are now gone.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this money will go towards luring back Manny Ramirez, and rightfully so. To update on his situation, it looks as if Scott Boras and Ned Colletti are back in contact, which is a positive sign. But, there's now rumors swirling that the San Francisco Giants have offered a 4-year deal to him. Plus, the Anaheim Angels may rethink their strategy of not looking to replace the Mark Teixeira departure with him.
Hopefully, the Jones departure will be the beginning of bigger news for LA.
The debacle known as the Andruw Jones signing looks to have finally come to an end. Jones has agreed to defer much of his salary left to spread out over the course of up to six years. In return, he will be either traded or released before the start of Spring Training. It could happen this month.
This ends what will go down as perhaps the worst free agent signing in baseball history. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Think about the expectations that were brought when he was signed. To refresh your memory, he was supposed to be a power bat in the middle of the order the Dodgers desperately needed, and give Gold Glove-caliber defense in center.
Instead, he only played 75 games, battling a weight problem (in other words, he was fat) that most likely led to a tear in his right knee. His final tally on the year was absolutely PATHETIC: .158 AVG, .256 OBP, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 76 K. And it's not like he could fall back on his used-to-be amazing defensive ability because he had a hard time tracking down balls he used to get to with ease in the past.
It's really hard to believe just how awful he really was. It's hard to put into perspective. I can't think of anyone that has ever signed a rich contract like he did (2 years/$36 million) and gave them literally nothing in return. Embarrassing.
Keep in mind that he hasn't actually been sent anywhere yet, but it will happen. Now that he'll be off to a "fresh start" somewhere else, the Dodgers have even more money to play around with. It's estimated that this move frees up $12 million, which goes along with the nearly $50 million opened up from the other 16 free agents that are now gone.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this money will go towards luring back Manny Ramirez, and rightfully so. To update on his situation, it looks as if Scott Boras and Ned Colletti are back in contact, which is a positive sign. But, there's now rumors swirling that the San Francisco Giants have offered a 4-year deal to him. Plus, the Anaheim Angels may rethink their strategy of not looking to replace the Mark Teixeira departure with him.
Hopefully, the Jones departure will be the beginning of bigger news for LA.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saito makes his return... and Jones is officially done
The Dodgers had some win-win news on Saturday. Takashi Saito has made his long-awaited return from a torn right elbow ligament. To make room for him, Andruw Jones was placed on the 60-day DL, ending what was one of the most miserable seasons for a big-time free agent signing in baseball history.
First, let's look at Saito. Joe Torre said he will be eased back into his relief role, probably pitching in non-pressure situations to begin with. Will he be closing again? Who knows, but Jonathan Broxton is doing fine in that role, so I really don't see a big rush. Just having him back is good enough. Assuming the Dodgers hold onto the NL West lead for the playoffs, that will give Saito 2 1/2 weeks to work on his arm strength. Definitely good news.
Then there's the story of Jones. I really don't know what else to say about him that hasn't already been said. Just looking at his numbers of a .158 AVG, 3 HR, 14 RBI in 75 games pretty much says it all. He was given a chance to start in center field the other night, and went 0-4 with 2 K's.
At least Jones acknowledges that he has A TON of work to do if he ever wants to regain any form of respectability. Perhaps showing up to camp in shape would be a start. Just click on the link above to read all about his awful season and you'll get the point.
First, let's look at Saito. Joe Torre said he will be eased back into his relief role, probably pitching in non-pressure situations to begin with. Will he be closing again? Who knows, but Jonathan Broxton is doing fine in that role, so I really don't see a big rush. Just having him back is good enough. Assuming the Dodgers hold onto the NL West lead for the playoffs, that will give Saito 2 1/2 weeks to work on his arm strength. Definitely good news.
Then there's the story of Jones. I really don't know what else to say about him that hasn't already been said. Just looking at his numbers of a .158 AVG, 3 HR, 14 RBI in 75 games pretty much says it all. He was given a chance to start in center field the other night, and went 0-4 with 2 K's.
At least Jones acknowledges that he has A TON of work to do if he ever wants to regain any form of respectability. Perhaps showing up to camp in shape would be a start. Just click on the link above to read all about his awful season and you'll get the point.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Callups and returns for September
The start of September means it's roster expansion time, and here's what the Dodgers have cooking:
Callups:
I've long since given up on Jones, mostly because he's a joke who has turned out to be the biggest free agent bust this season, and possibly in a long time. Young can provide a good bat late in games when they need some pop. Who knows what to expect from Repko, but if he truly is healthy, he'll give the team good energy.
Callups:
- Eric Stults, left-handed pitcher
- James McDonald, right-handed pitcher
- Jason Repko (remember him?), outfielder
- Andruw Jones, outfielder and overall letdown
- Delwyn Young, outfielder
- Scott Proctor, right-handed reliever
I've long since given up on Jones, mostly because he's a joke who has turned out to be the biggest free agent bust this season, and possibly in a long time. Young can provide a good bat late in games when they need some pop. Who knows what to expect from Repko, but if he truly is healthy, he'll give the team good energy.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Jones and Garciaparra to return today
This is probably old news by now, but Andruw Jones and Nomar Garciaparra will be activated for the start of the San Francisco series today. Jones has been out since May 27 for right knee surgery, and Nomar since April 26 with a torn left calf muscle.
The Dodgers played well in Houston, something they really needed, but their offense is still one of the worst in the Majors. A big part of that at the start of the year was the horrendous play of Jones, who currently has a .165 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBI. Um... yuck. Nomar has only played in 9 games and didn't do much, with a .226 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI.
Even with some poor numbers, the Dodgers need to at least see what they can add. It's not like they guys in their places have seized the opportunity and made things happen. Actually, the opposite has happened. I remember when Jones went out, I can hardly think of anyone that thought they'd miss his bat. Now, they're willing to see if he has figured out what went wrong to start the year.
Both showed signs of encouragement, as Jones went 4-8 with a homer and Nomar 5-8 in their 3 games at Triple-A Las Vegas.
The Dodgers played well in Houston, something they really needed, but their offense is still one of the worst in the Majors. A big part of that at the start of the year was the horrendous play of Jones, who currently has a .165 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBI. Um... yuck. Nomar has only played in 9 games and didn't do much, with a .226 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI.
Even with some poor numbers, the Dodgers need to at least see what they can add. It's not like they guys in their places have seized the opportunity and made things happen. Actually, the opposite has happened. I remember when Jones went out, I can hardly think of anyone that thought they'd miss his bat. Now, they're willing to see if he has figured out what went wrong to start the year.
Both showed signs of encouragement, as Jones went 4-8 with a homer and Nomar 5-8 in their 3 games at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Las Vegas Millionaires Club
It must be quite an interesting sight for fans of the Las Vegas 51's this week. In addition to Jason Schmidt rehabbing there, he has now been joined by Nomar Garciaparra, Andruw Jones, and Rafael Furcal. I'd say ticket sales have probably seen a spike.
Nomar, Jones, and Furcal all played last night, and each had some success. Nomar was 0-2 with walk, Furcal was 1-3 with an RBI double, and Jones was 1-3 with a homer. Man, those kinds of stats would earn them a spot smack dab in the middle of the Dodgers' lineup!
In all seriousness, it's great to see them close to coming back. For Furcal, he was clearly the top SS in the NL before his injury, and his return means everything. Nomar and Jones have not exactly torn up the league this year, but perhaps some R&R will do them good. Just reading about Jones hitting a home run is a big sigh of relief. Granted, he has a lot of prove that he can do that at the Big League level when he's back, but hey, it's a good start.
As for Schmidt, he's had pretty good success in his long road to recover thus far. He's made 5 starts for 13 IP. His ERA is 3.46, to along with 6 BB and 10 K. There's already been rumblings that he will team up with Clayton Kershaw to pitch in the same game, which makes since considering neither one of them is capable of going deep into games right now.
I'll be sure to keep an eye on all 4 of these player's performances as long as they are down on the farm.
Nomar, Jones, and Furcal all played last night, and each had some success. Nomar was 0-2 with walk, Furcal was 1-3 with an RBI double, and Jones was 1-3 with a homer. Man, those kinds of stats would earn them a spot smack dab in the middle of the Dodgers' lineup!
In all seriousness, it's great to see them close to coming back. For Furcal, he was clearly the top SS in the NL before his injury, and his return means everything. Nomar and Jones have not exactly torn up the league this year, but perhaps some R&R will do them good. Just reading about Jones hitting a home run is a big sigh of relief. Granted, he has a lot of prove that he can do that at the Big League level when he's back, but hey, it's a good start.
As for Schmidt, he's had pretty good success in his long road to recover thus far. He's made 5 starts for 13 IP. His ERA is 3.46, to along with 6 BB and 10 K. There's already been rumblings that he will team up with Clayton Kershaw to pitch in the same game, which makes since considering neither one of them is capable of going deep into games right now.
I'll be sure to keep an eye on all 4 of these player's performances as long as they are down on the farm.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Jones DL'd, will have knee surgery
Andruw Jones gave it a shot playing through his right knee pain, but it was too much to overcome. He will now be out 4-6 weeks while getting surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. The move will land him on the 15-day DL.
He was originally out since last Sunday, then tried to make a comeback on Friday, but struck out with 2 runners on and 2 outs to end the game. He then made the rational decision that he's dead weight right now, so it's better to get fixed.
I'll give him credit for wanting to come back and help the team, and even more credit for recognizing that he has to be smart and get fixed. It's not like he can hit any worse, so let's hope that whatever has ailed his swing this year, surgery can fix that.
To replace Jones, the Dodgers have called up Terry Tiffee, who is having an outstanding season in Triple-A Las Vegas. His average is .422, leading the Pacific Coast League. With the way the Dodgers have (not) been hitting, I can see him getting chances to make some noise. Can't hurt to try.
Nomar Garciaparra will be switched from the 15-day to the 60-day DL, which proves that his calf injury isn't even close to being healed. Nothing against Nomar, but I doubt anybody is holding their breath that he comes back soon with Blake DeWitt playing so well and Andy LaRoche healthy again. Looks like another lost year for Nomar.
He was originally out since last Sunday, then tried to make a comeback on Friday, but struck out with 2 runners on and 2 outs to end the game. He then made the rational decision that he's dead weight right now, so it's better to get fixed.
I'll give him credit for wanting to come back and help the team, and even more credit for recognizing that he has to be smart and get fixed. It's not like he can hit any worse, so let's hope that whatever has ailed his swing this year, surgery can fix that.
To replace Jones, the Dodgers have called up Terry Tiffee, who is having an outstanding season in Triple-A Las Vegas. His average is .422, leading the Pacific Coast League. With the way the Dodgers have (not) been hitting, I can see him getting chances to make some noise. Can't hurt to try.
Nomar Garciaparra will be switched from the 15-day to the 60-day DL, which proves that his calf injury isn't even close to being healed. Nothing against Nomar, but I doubt anybody is holding their breath that he comes back soon with Blake DeWitt playing so well and Andy LaRoche healthy again. Looks like another lost year for Nomar.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Jones out with tear in right knee
An MRI revealed today that Andruw Jones has a slight cartilage tear in his right knee, which will sideline him for the time being. They will now wait a few days before deciding if surgery is necessary, which will then shelve him for 4-5 weeks.
I know most people will be glad to see him out of the lineup, but I'm not going to be sick enough to celebrate someone being hurt. No matter how he's hitting, it's not a good thing. A knee injury is nothing to be happy about.
The next question is whether or not this injury has caused him to play so poorly this season. Who knows what the answer is. I would think his weak play has much more to do with coming into the season out of shape and from a mysterious loss of power (hmm...) and the knee only adds to it.
The positive to the mess that is Andruw Jones this season is that Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Juan Pierre will now be the main men in the outfield. Kemp is hitting .320 with 27 RBI, Ethier .291 with 18 RBI, and Pierre .286 with 17 SB. I know the thought of Pierre playing everyday will be a scary thought to most people, but I was just saying to another Dodger fan today how I like this year's Pierre better than last. He's stealing bases like usual, but the biggest difference is how OBP: .361 this year, .331 last. That's a big improvement that needs to stay the same.
As far as Jones, who knows... maybe some rest and rehab will do wonders for him. Hey, I can be optimistic.
I know most people will be glad to see him out of the lineup, but I'm not going to be sick enough to celebrate someone being hurt. No matter how he's hitting, it's not a good thing. A knee injury is nothing to be happy about.
The next question is whether or not this injury has caused him to play so poorly this season. Who knows what the answer is. I would think his weak play has much more to do with coming into the season out of shape and from a mysterious loss of power (hmm...) and the knee only adds to it.
The positive to the mess that is Andruw Jones this season is that Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Juan Pierre will now be the main men in the outfield. Kemp is hitting .320 with 27 RBI, Ethier .291 with 18 RBI, and Pierre .286 with 17 SB. I know the thought of Pierre playing everyday will be a scary thought to most people, but I was just saying to another Dodger fan today how I like this year's Pierre better than last. He's stealing bases like usual, but the biggest difference is how OBP: .361 this year, .331 last. That's a big improvement that needs to stay the same.
As far as Jones, who knows... maybe some rest and rehab will do wonders for him. Hey, I can be optimistic.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Jones hitting 2nd, Nomar cleaning up tonight
I would definitely qualify tonight's lineup against the D-Backs as "quirky."
In another one of Joe Torre's lineup shufflings, he has Andruw Jones in the 2-hole, Nomar in the cleanup spot, Matt Kemp 7th, and Chin-lung Hu 8th. Jeff Kent gets the night off against the dangerous Dan Haren.
Should be an interesting game...
In another one of Joe Torre's lineup shufflings, he has Andruw Jones in the 2-hole, Nomar in the cleanup spot, Matt Kemp 7th, and Chin-lung Hu 8th. Jeff Kent gets the night off against the dangerous Dan Haren.
Should be an interesting game...
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Andruw Jones needs to step up
This was supposed to be Andruw Jones' comeback year. A year in which he was going to prove to all of the doubters that last year was a fluke and he is still an All-Star caliber player.
Instead, he's looking more and more like the miserable hitter he was last year.
After Monday night's game in Arizona, he is now 3-26 on the season for a .115 AVG. He's only taken 2 walks, so it's not like he's finding other ways to get on base. The season started with him hitting in the #5 spot, and now he's been moved down to #6. None of it seems to matter.
Going into the offseason, Jones was reportedly looking for a long-term deal, somewhere in the 7-year range for mega-bucks. Instead, he settled on a 2-year deal to try and shake off last year's mediocre numbers. The thinking at the time was that he would do whatever is necessary to prove that he is one of the best outfielders in the league all over again.
And then there were reports that he came into Spring Training overweight. He said he was fine, but others disagreed. Not exactly the best way to start the comeback trail.
Now there's his performance at the plate, which has been flat out embarrassing to say the least. Take a look at his 4 AB's last night: grounded out to 3rd, K swinging, grounded into a fielder's choice, and K swinging. The Dodgers' offense is already weak enough, but when their so-called "big free agent signing" is doing a big pile of nothing at the plate, it's really hard to win games, no matter how good the pitching may be.
It's still too early to call the Jones signing a bust, but it's not too early to at least talk about it. He's played his way into that talk. He has yet to hit a home run, only has 1 RBI, and is tied for the team lead in K's at 8. Rather than leading the team to a new level offensively, he's making last year's team look better.
What is Joe Torre to do? He's already faced with 2 other struggling outfielders in Matt Kemp (3-17, .176) and Juan Pierre (1-15, .067), so it's not like he other people are covering for Jones' mistakes. Does he sit him down for a day or 2? Hard to do when looking at those other numbers. The options are limited.
The bottom line is that Jones needs to step up and play ball, and fast. The National League West is way too competitive of a division to have much room to mess around. It's hard to believe they're over .500 at 4-3 right now, and they have their pitching to thank for that. Yes, it's a long season, but when you are brought in to be the big dog, you have to show your bite.
Plenty of games and plenty of at-bats remain, but Jones needs to regain his focus, maybe actually get in shape, and be a team leader. If he plays like he did last year, the Dodgers will be going nowhere once again this year.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
MLB.com preview: Outfielders
This week, the around-the-horn preview of the Dodgers focuses on the outfield situation. As has been talked about here, there, and everywhere, Juan Pierre is the ultimate question mark heading into the season. Given a huge contract to come to LA from the Cubs last year, he either did his job or failed miserably, depending on who you talk to. Those who focus on the positive note his 96 runs, 196 hits, and 64 stolen bases. Those on the negative side point out his 33 walks, .331 OBP, and lollipop arm in the outfield.
What most people want to see is Andre Ethier in left, Andruw Jones in center, and Matt Kemp in right. I think people need to realize that the only thing etched in stone right now is Jones in center. I really don't believe that Kemp is automatically the starter quite yet, but most likely will win that outright. No matter who starts, knowing Joe Torre, I can see him giving the veteran Pierre plenty of chances to succeed.
Next week: Starters
What most people want to see is Andre Ethier in left, Andruw Jones in center, and Matt Kemp in right. I think people need to realize that the only thing etched in stone right now is Jones in center. I really don't believe that Kemp is automatically the starter quite yet, but most likely will win that outright. No matter who starts, knowing Joe Torre, I can see him giving the veteran Pierre plenty of chances to succeed.
Next week: Starters
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Dodgers nab Andruw Jones at 2 years - $36.2 million
The Dodgers finally made a big splash at the Winter Meetings by signing Andruw Jones to a 2-year deal with a full no-trade clause. After passing up trade after trade after trade, for now at least, the kids are safe, and the big bat to fill the middle of the order has hopped on the train.It's a very big signing for 3 reasons:
1) Like I said before, the Dodgers DESPERATELY needed a power hitter in the middle of the order. Sorry, but Jeff Kent's team-leading 20 homers just wasn't going to cut it again. Not since Adrian Beltre's 48 homer season in 2004 (he's a rich man now thanks to that) have they had a true threat in the cleanup spot. Hopefully Jones can right some of his hitting holes and get back to his old self. It's a chance definitely worth taking.
2) Juan-for-five Pierre (got that one from dodgerblues.com, love that site) and his chicken arm will finally be out of centerfield. Not only does his arm suck, but he took some mind-bogglingly awful routes to catch simple fly balls last year. Teams just ran at will on him, and now that will stop. He can go to left and be fine there.
3) Ned Colletti did not have to unload every prospect to try and get a big name (Bedard, Santana, Cabrera...). Granted, he still has plenty of time to make a deal, and I have no problem trading a couple prospects to get something (like Bedard). But, it's nice to see the Dodgers sign someone in his prime, rather than over-the-hill players like Luis Gonzalez and Nomar Garciaparra.
As of now, here's how I see the lineup:
1. Furcal - SS
2. Pierre - LF
3. Loney - 1B
4. Jones - CF
5. Kent - 2B
6. Kemp - RF
7. Martin - C
8. LaRoche - 3B
Assuming Kemp will still be a Dodger (you know what assuming does), that's not a bad lineup now that I look at it. If Loney and Kemp build on their success they had from the end of last season, there's good bats up and down the lineup.
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