Reported yesterday, Andruw Jones signed a one year deal with the Chicago White Sox. My guess, is that for the next 3 – 4 years you are going to see this happen every off-season. What is incredible is that Jones is still gaining interest from teams. He has proven since his last season in Atlanta that he has given up on being the potential 40 – 40 he once was.
No now you get a large turkey (had to put a thanksgiving reference in there). Once he was a slim 195, now he has ballooned to nearly 250lbs or more. He once was a nightmare to hit to given his athletic ability, now he owns the DH slot. About the only thing he can do in the outfield is catch the ball (as long as it’s hit within 10 feet of him).
To me, this signing makes no sense. The already have Omar Vizquel and Mark Kotsay on the bench. Both bring a veteran and coaches mentality to a relatively young team. What does Jones bring to the table? If anything you don’t want your young players emulating him in his current state. I see this as a “Well he can’t hurt the team right?” or “We could use a power bat off the bench!” I get that and I also get that for $500K + incentives that he will never hit, it’s potentially not a bad deal. However when are we just going to give in that his dangerous days as a hitter are all but over.
I was thinking that he would make the team out of training camp and stay the season, but the more I think about it, the more I think, this may be a half season deal, then another half season deal in June for another sucker. Maybe the Royals or Mariners can use him, better yet, maybe the Braves will let him retire as a Brave.
As far as Jones’ cards go, his autograph can be had for under $5 and his game used cards are now considered commons. It’s sad that this once incredible player who hit 0.263/51/128 and finished 2nd in MVP voting is now a last man on the bench, who last season hit 0.214/17/43 (didn’t even hit his weight). You can expect less out of his this season as hopefully he rides off into the sunset. What are your feelings on him.
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November 26, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I sort of wonder about Jones’ age – we all assume that he was this 18 yr old phenom when he came up in the mid 90s. What if he really was like 23? and is now in his late 30s not early 30s…
November 27, 2009 at 1:21 am
The sox also picked up Alex Rios, and his enormous contract from the Jays, last year, yet another underperformer…..
November 27, 2009 at 5:31 am
I think his agent can suck the balls off an old goat.
December 3, 2009 at 8:51 am
Amphetamine ban. As a long time Braves fan and amphetamine user, there is no doubt in my mind that the ban caused his weight gain and lack of focus. Amphetamines were commonly used by players in the ’70s and ’80s. I’m not sure why MLB decided to be so strict about them. I don’t think they give much of an advantage performance wise. The effects are similar to caffeine, plus they absolutely kill your appetite. Andruw should get a medical waiver to use them. I think Adam LaRoche did that because he had been clinically diagnosed with ADHD. The steroid era made for some of the most entertaining baseball I’ve ever seen, and that should be the goal of the sport.