LAD signs Andruw Jones (2yr/36.2M)

[AJAY]

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071205&content_id=2319266&vkey=hotstove2007&fext=.jsp

[DannoMac21]

Wow. That's a lot for Geoff Jenkins v. 2

[trwi7]

Get one of their outfielders. Kemp or Ethier I don't care which.

[And That]

$18 million per for two years? Oh heck no.

[crewcrazy]

Not exactly the 6 year, $100 million deal Boras was looking for, but at least the salary per year is to his -- er, Andruw's -- liking.

[ELCABALLO45]

Haha Geoff Jenkins V2? How many gold gloves does Jenkins have? How many 50 home run seasons?

[TheCouga23]

God, the Dodgers are stupid. They're paying $9MM for Pierre and $18MM for Jones. Two guys who combined barely had a higher OPS+ than Ryan Braun alone last year.

[brains and braun]

I agree that you can't compare Jenks and Jones exactly, but how many 50 hr seasons and GGs do we see on his horizon? 18M/season worth?

[Glennron]

Haha Geoff Jenkins V2? How many gold gloves does Jenkins have? How many 50 home run seasons?

Gold gloves are based largely on reputation. Andruw Jones was really good at defense like 6-7-8 years ago, so he's won every GG since and probably will keep winning until he misses a significant portion of a season or retires. He also had a solid .222 AVG with a .311 OBP at 30 years old. Even if Jenkins played full time last year, I'd say he wouldn't be all that different from Jones.

[TheBrewer]

yea thats alot of money, but it is off the books in 2 short years, or he could be dealt next off-season if LA believes theirs a market for him. If he goes well a team like the Yanks or BOS etc could deal away young talent to get him in 1 year or 1.5 years

[jlau20]

$18mil/yr for a guy coming off a .222 season? I know that's not the only stat to look at, and you can't really only look at just last year, but still. It just doesn't sound right.

[ILuvDaBush]

Better deal next year, Giambi or Jones?

[DHarris34Phan]

Awesome Deal for Andruw. He will be able to get another huge deal in 2 years.

[ELCABALLO45]

Gold gloves are based largely on reputation. Andruw Jones was really good at defense like 6-7-8 years ago, so he's won every GG since and probably will keep winning until he misses a significant portion of a season or retires. He also had a solid .222 AVG with a .311 OBP at 30 years old. Even if Jenkins played full time last year, I'd say he wouldn't be all that different from Jones.

Haha no. He is winning gold gloves on reputation for the last 8 years huh? that means he as no played gold glove defense for the last 8 years? As a guy who watches the braves everynight I can honeslty say he has earned everyone of those gold gloves. He had 41 home runs the year before. His batting avg. has NEVER been in strong suit but trying to compare Jenkins and Andruw Jones is laughable. IF Jenkins played the entire year.. He would probably hit .170. Having to face leftys would be to much, and we know Jenks would get into his usual slump. And for a guy who only hit .222 last year. 26 homers and 94 RBI's. Not to shabby.

[Invader3K]

While part of me kind of wanted him on the Brewers, definitely didn't want to see it at that price tag. Dodgers are making some...interesting, moves this year.

[Fatter than Joey]

Even if Jenkins played full time last year, I'd say he wouldn't be all that different from Jones.

 

Jenkins cannot play full time -- Jenks numbers are a bit inflated as he gets shielded from LHP -- plus Jenks can't play CF. Jones is better than Jenks.

 

$18mil/yr for a guy coming off a .222 season? I know that's not the only stat to look at, and you can't really only look at just last year, but still. It just doesn't sound right.

 

If this was $18M per for 5 years I would agree. Money is sort of a relative thing -- If the Dodgers have it, they may as well spend it. Jones is 30 years old 1 yr removed from a 41 HR season, and 2 yrs removed from a 51 HR season. I like this deal for both the Dodgers and Jones. I guess I would have been OK (admittedly nervous) if DM would have signed this deal. Plus its not as if Jones has to hit 55 HRs to out perform Pierre.

 

The thing that terrifies me is Juan Pierre -- I can't imagine the Dodgers would move him to a corner spot in the OF, I hope DM isn't zeroing in on him.

[giffted1]

I don't get the Dodgers. They have two young guys with upside in Kemp and Ethier, but they want to replace one of them with a player on the wrong side of thirty coming off a horrible season...and they're paying $36 million for him. I know Jones had some great years, and his defense is solid but come on.

 

To use another video game analogy - It's like your parents buy you a PS3 for Christmas, but you go spend the money you got for Christmas on a PS2.

[Ennder]

Jones was still the best CF in the NL defensively by most statistics in 2006, haven't seen 2007's numbers. This is a pretty good deal for the dodgers, it is a lot of money but it is only for 2 years which makes it a good deal. It is a much better deal if it makes the trade Pierre (please not to the Brewers!)

[Brian the Automator]

I don't get the Dodgers. They have two young guys with upside in Kemp and Ethier, but they want to replace one of them with a player on the wrong side of thirty coming off a horrible season...and they're paying $36 million for him. I know Jones had some great years, and his defense is solid but come on.

 

To use another video game analogy - It's like your parents buy you a PS3 for Christmas, but you go spend the money you got for Christmas on a PS2.

If they're dangling Kemp and/or Ethier to land a 3B or SP, then it makes sense.

 

[Big Reed]

the people who point out Jones' bad average last year seem to also be the same ones that are saying Hall will rebound next year. certainly if hall will rebound, Jones is very capable of rebounding as well. Jones had a very consistant .263 average for 4 years before last year. I have to believe he can hit .265 once more. It's not that hard. I doubt Jones will be a 50 homer guy for the Dodgers though. Most of the people who are cutting Jones down defensively didn't see him play on a regular basis last year. So your comments are based on 1-2 games. yes, a lot of people believe gold gloves are given out purely on reputation. Greg Maddux and Ivan Rodriguez always seem to win one. However, you don't see juan pierre or Upton, Braun or Fielder winning a gold glove, so they have to be at least half way decent in the field to win a gold glove. Like the all star game, there is always some player who is slighted and finishes second and some player who makes it over a more deserving player. Hardy beat out Rollins for the all star game. Was Hardy or Rollins more deserving? The facts are they were both deserving. Jones was deserving of his gold glove.

 

The dodgers are not stupid for spending $18 million a year on a player like jones. I hate it when I see comments like that by brewers fans. they had the money to spend, so they spent it. If I had $50,000 in the bank, and wanted a new car, I'd spend it on a Lexus and not a Camry and not think twice or regret my purchase.. I know the Camry is twice as cheap and is virtually the same car. but I would still spend my money on a Lexus. Do we call Lexus owners stupid because they could have saved $20,000 and bought a Camry? NO! If I paid $40,000 for a 65 rambler, then yes, that's a stupid purchase. Do we call the guy who bought the Barry Bonds ball stupid for spending all that money? I know I wouldn't have spent 1 cent for that ball, but i'm not going to call the guy how paid for the ball stupid for spending his money. Obviously, he had money to spend and that's how he wanted to spend it. How about the geek who paid $4,500 for his laptop computer? While most people wouldn't pay over $1,500 for a laptop, I'm not going to call somebody who spent $4,500 for one stupid. he obviously knew what he wanted and spent his mone y accordingly. The Dodgers have a lot of money to spend, and they chose to spend it on jones. yes, there are cheaper players available, but they chose Jones. I buy and drink Cokes and Mountain Dew. I don't buy Kroger Kola or shasta colas or Sams colas or beer. I pay more and buy for the product I like.

Fans who call other teams stupid for spending a lot of money on players sound like sour grapes and jealous because their own owner didn't have the money to spend.

 

the Dodgers wanted Jones and paid the amount his agent was asking. The brewers had that type of money available. They were about to spend close to that amount to retain Cordero. but like the ebay buyer they are, they bowed out of the bidding when it went above their desire to spend. They could have bought the Jones model, but they decided to trade for the less expensive player. I won't call the Brewers stupid for not signing Jones. They have just elected to use their money to address different areas of their team.

 

I have to believe the Jones signing will lead to a Dodgers trade where they can further improve their team at their other positions of need. Some team will bite on Kemp, Either and/or Pierre.

[Tbadder]

First, I'm disappointed because I really thought that Jones was coming to Milwaukee. 2nd, what is LA thinking? This seem a little desparate for the money just like the KC signing. If they are moving Either or Kemp then the return better be significant or I don't see the imporvement. 3rd, it'll be tough for Jones to rebound offensively playing in the Ravine. He should've gone to Houston or some place like that. He'll never see a 100 mil contract now. They should've ponied up 4 years with an option for Rowand.

[billyhallfan]

big reed, i was just going to say that, thank you for that post. If one of the Brewers' players have a bad year, then he will rebound, but because Jones had a bad season last year, he is obviously washed up. Do his 41 homers and .360+ .OBP mean nothing from 2006, the guy has basiclly had one bad year since 1998, that happened to be in 2007, and now according to some people here, he is washed up, and Jones should not even be in the same sentence as Jenkins, that is a joke.

[Invader3K]

Also, the same people want to re-sign Sheets for four years and $65 million, when he hasn't been really solid in almost four years.

 

I think it's like fans of most teams...we tend to overvalue our own and undervalue everyone else.

[Patrick425]

Imagine be a sales person that doesn't work on commission. You have have been one of the top sales people for several years. Then, one year your sales drops by 30% or 40%. The boss comes up to you at the end of the year and offers to double your salary. Huh?

 

I realize the analogy is flawed because the demand for a MLB CF is much greater than the demand for a sales person. However, wheres the motivation? I realize that if he had a good year he probably would have received something like $100 mil over 5 years or possibly even better. Still, he received a very nice raise for basically having a bad year. I understand the whole free, open market thing (so please don't tell me all about the economic environment of baseball)...but it's still just wrong IMO.

[GAME05]

this has become example #1 for me of why baseball is totally out of control.