TUESDAY, 9:08pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the two sides are not far apart, and it's possible that they'll be able to close the deal tomorrow. Scott Boras will be at Yankee Stadium for Rafael Soriano's introductory press conference in the morning.
MONDAY, 12:18pm: The Yankees are nearing a one-year deal with Andruw Jones, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier today that the Yankees were balking at Jones' current asking price and maintained interest in Johnny Damon. Scott Boras represents Damon and Jones.
The Yankees were looking for an outfielder who can hit lefties and can handle left and center field. Outfielders Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner both bat from the left side, so Jones, a right-handed hitter, could spell them against tough southpaws. He has an .863 OPS against lefties in his career, including a .931 mark in 2010. The 33-year-old hit 19 homers for the White Sox last year, playing all three outfield positions.
The Rays had interest in Jones, but ranked him behind other free agents, according to Rosenthal. The Braves and Rockies also showed some interest in Jones this offseason.
Wren did not offer him a contract. Wren, your first dumb move of the offseason.
Dumb? Maybe he is going to look for a less expensive OF. He is not the dumb one.
Hairston’s a better fit since he can play SS in a pinch. My chief worries with the Braves lineup this year are finding a decent CF out of the three-headed monster named Young/Schaefer/McLouth (odds are fairly good one will beat what happened last year), and what happens if A-Gon gets hurt. (I have a feeling he’s going down this year for some reason)
Hairstron provides insurance for both of those, even if it is replacement level. None of the Braves current options for backup SS have proven themselves to be replacement level
Exacly, the Braves should go for a Bill Hall type player, who can play almost every postition if needed
Hicks or Diory could at least hold down the fort until they could make a trade.
Hicks or Diory would burn the fort down. I’d rather trot out Rafael Ramirez at whatever his age is than either of those two.
Hicks or Diory would burn the fort down. I’d rather trot out Rafael Ramirez at whatever his age is than either of those two.
Hicks or Diory could at least hold down the fort until they could make a trade.
Alfredo Amezaga might still be looking for a job. he got seriously hurt cpl years back and no idea if he’s even still in the LAD organization? But a minor league deal is possible and he plays every position except P/C.
His name is cool, they should give him a shot
He is a blast to watch also, doesn’t have to play even. Twirls towels in the dugout and when he was on the Fish one of the biggest overall cheerleaders they had.
His name is cool, they should give him a shot
there was a reason we released him.
If you mean Braves, then you’re wrong. He was a free agent, and went to the Dodgers on a 2/37 million contract. If you mean Dodgers, then that is a different story.
andruw jones he will be a good back up only aganist lefties is when he will play
Yoda?
i wish i could like this more than once
Andruw Jones is done! What an awful signing. If we want a 4th outfielder, why not sign Scott Podsednik? He is 34, fast, decent fielder and a .300 hitter. Andruw Jones is a 200 hitter. This is just like signing kevin brown, randy johnson but in this case it is an outfielder. This is a dumb, desperate move by the Yankees.
because podsenik bats lefty. he had a .639 OPS against lefties. Jones hit .931. Signing Podsednik would make no sense. You’d just be getting an older Gardner.
They already have enough laft handed outfielders
They already have enough laft handed outfielders
I’m gonna go get the papers, get the papers.
goodfellas reference?
Andruw Jones can still absolutely rake against left-handed pitching. He can also play the corner outfield positions respectably unlike Pods, who is an embarrassment in all three outfield spots. Oh, and Jones actually fulfills a need for the Yankees, whereas Podsednik would be an unnecessary addition.
Andruw Jones in 107 games (2010): 1.8 WAR
Scott Podsednik in 134 games (2010): 0.4 WAR
So you’re comparing a 1 year deal for a back up OF who will probably earn under $4 mil to that of a late 30’s early 40’s SP expected to pitch 200 innings and being paid upwards of $10 mil per on a multi year deal? Not a good comparison. I would’ve prefered Lastings Milledge myself, but Jones can probably do a decent job for what he’s being asked to do.
Andruw Jones is done! What an awful signing. If we want a 4th outfielder, why not sign Scott Podsednik? He is 34, fast, decent fielder and a .300 hitter. Andruw Jones is a 200 hitter. This is just like signing kevin brown, randy johnson but in this case it is an outfielder. This is a dumb, desperate move by the Yankees.
Great job getting this guy, I think we still need a utility infielder, and then we should be fine… unless we can use Nunez there with Martin at 2b/3b if it’s really needed.
Bench
Jones OF
Cervelli C
Nunez IF
Martin C/2b/3b
You want to have 3 catchers on 25 man roster? Cervelli, Martin and Montero? I thoguth the yankees would go with Jones-Montero-Nunez- and a Bill Hall type player (That can also slide to the number 4 spot in the rotation)
montero isn’t on the 25 man roster
montero isn’t on the 40 man either. he’s probably gonna start the season in SWB, but depending on performance (his and martin’s), he may be called up sometime in the middle of the year. no reason bringing him up and stunting his development while he sits on the bench.
montero isn’t on the 40 man either. he’s probably gonna start the season in SWB, but depending on performance (his and martin’s), he may be called up sometime in the middle of the year. no reason bringing him up and stunting his development while he sits on the bench.
My bad, 4 catchers on 25 man roster if you count Posada who will catch minimum….. Martin-Montero-Cervilli-Posada
That’s if you can actually refer to Montero as a catcher without a slight chuckle.
My bad, 4 catchers on 25 man roster if you count Posada who will catch minimum….. Martin-Montero-Cervilli-Posada
I’m all for getting JHJ again. Right-handed and can play all outfield and infield positions? Yes, please.
I give up. Who is JHJ?
Jerry Hairston Jr
Oh, I should have known that one!
Oh, I should have known that one!
Jerry Hairston Jr
Martin is starting Catcher… i honestly like the bench of ..
Andruw Jones OF
Cervelli C
*Jerry Hairston Jr – Utility (everywhere)
Nunez
Yankees added:
RHP Rafael Soriano
OF Andruw Jones
Yankees should add:
RHP – starter Justin Duschscherer
IF / OF – Jerry Hairston Jr.
Agree with everything you said except I think Montero should get the starting job if he plays well in ST.
Makes no sense. And makes no cents. All the recent top prospects (with the exception of Heyward) get called up in late May. You keep them for an extra arbitration year that way. Montero starts the year in AAA. If he starts AAA the way he finished it last season, the Yankees make a spot on the field for him in late May or June.
Makes no sense. And makes no cents. All the recent top prospects (with the exception of Heyward) get called up in late May. You keep them for an extra arbitration year that way. Montero starts the year in AAA. If he starts AAA the way he finished it last season, the Yankees make a spot on the field for him in late May or June.
fair point, but the yankees have said he will get a chance to win the job out of ST.
The Yankees SAY a lot of things. “We will not surrender our 1st round draft pick for Soriano” being the latest. Not saying it’s impossible for him to make opening day roster, but with the Martin signing, they DID something. He’ll start in AAA unless there’s some horrific injury – Tex or ARod or Martin or Posada go down, and they decide to shift things around.
How would Arod going down effect Montero? He can’t play 3B and I doubt they would move Martin there even if he has played there in the past.
you’re right. I was thinking about the possibility of Martin covering 3B, but I forgot about Laird down in the minors, and that Nunez played a good amount of 3B last year. Arod going down wouldn’t affect Montero, my bad.
I wouldn’t use Martin anywhere other than @ catcher. Nunez and/or Pena can play 2b, SS and 3B. Depending on what happens with Joba (starter or reliver) the Yanks will probably go with 6 or 7 bullpen guys and 4 or 5 bench players. Figure the bench will be a 4th OF, back up C and my guess is, 2 infielders (Nunez and Pena). If they go with 5 then my guess they’ll wait until they bring up Montero and go with 3 catchers (Martin, Cervelli and Montero).
You can’t judge the signing until you hear a dollar amount. If he gave him the kind of money that he gave Nick Johnson, then this deal sucks.
they gave nick johnson a 1 year/$5 million… that wouldn’t be dumb.
I can see 1 year @ $5 million with incentives?
But how did Nick Johnson work out?
He’s a piece of glass, Andruw Jones is not.
Yeah Andruw Jones is more like a piece of flab.
Yeah Andruw Jones is more like a piece of flab.
He’s a piece of glass, Andruw Jones is not.
they gave nick johnson a 1 year/$5 million… that wouldn’t be dumb.
Ment for Joe
I have a feeling Kevin Long can fix Andruw Jones bat. I have no doubts!
I don’t know if he can fix it, but he can defenitly make it “Long”er
Can Kevin Long shut down all the buffets in the NYC area?
CC and Joba would make sure that don’t happen.
Crap it doesnt let me edit
Might depend on what browser you use. I use Firefox
Oh, I use Internet Explorer, I can click on edit, but I can’t click in the box
Oh, I use Internet Explorer, I can click on edit, but I can’t click in the box
Might depend on what browser you use. I use Firefox
I’m just glad that jones isn’t playing for the dodgers anymore. What a clusterf*** that deal was.
I’m just glad that jones isn’t playing for the dodgers anymore. What a clusterf*** that deal was.
Kevin Long fixes all! Has anyone heard a single disparaging remark ever made about him? The guy has the Midas Touch.
Seems like he’s turning into the Dave Duncan of hitting coaches.
Who did Kevin Long need to necessarily “fix”?
He fixed Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher, and Curtis Granderson.
How exactly did he “fix” Nick Swisher? His batted ball stats were the same as his career levels, and his overall peripherals were the same except for BB% which went down. The only difference was that he had more luck in 2010 on BABIP otherwise he isn’t much different from his career (outside of the year he was on the White Sox). Don’t confuse significant improvement with luck. And I’m also unsure on how he fixed Gardner.
Especially the worked he has done with Nick Swisher this past year, less moving parts at the plate and the guy puts up his best overall year, his batting average went way up compared to before.
i hope he gets a good number of ABs, it’d be cool to see him hit 500 HR after the massive collapse it looked like his career was headed towards.
He didnt have a collapse he had a expansion.
If Jones shows up at camp in as good of shape as he did last year it is a solid signing. If he put the weight back on then I will not fear Andruw Jones.
Him and CC could go into weight loss programs together
Jones lost the weight last off season and it paid dividends for him. I’ve read that Sabathia has lost over 20 lbs already this off season. He may be a force to be reckon with this year.
I say 1 year/3 million.
I say 1 year/3 million.
I see a year deal at three million for Jones.
to me it looks like andruw is headed back up to a mid 30 HR season, man i wish the braves got him, would of fit perfectly.
In that ballpark it’s possible, but he probably won’t get enough playing time.
He’s not even going to play in enough games to hit 30 HR…he’s a 4th OF/PH/DH type (and the Yankees have made it clear that Posada will be the primary DH). He’s probably not starting unless it’s a tough lefty on the mound.
-C
Why??? Do you have insight on him using HGH lately??? He will probably only play against Left-Handed pitching…..30+ hrs would be a ridiculous amount
Andruw Jones… man what a great baseball player. Okay it didnt work out L.A. but this guy has been solid everywhere else and will be a great role player for the Yankees. He will be dropping bombs in the new Yankee Stadium like he did in the old one at the age of 19.
For a 4th outfielder he can hit hrs and drive in rbis and play average defense at least not a bad signing if its for a few million. The average and Ks aren’t great but nobodies perfect.
I think what he is saying that if Burnett can have just an “ok” year he would keep the Yanks in good enough of a position to win 18-20 games in which he’s the starter. I think we would all be happy if AJ could post a 200 IP/4.00 ERA/1.30 whip.
I don’t think AJ will have anywhere near as bad of a year as he did last year. An ERA between 3.75 and 4.20 is likely, but he could still win 15-17 games with the Yankees.
alli can say watch andews play for the braves he not gettin any younger good ball player defense wise can play the outfield with the best, put on pin strips usually some thing happen wat&see.
Always thought Andruw was a nice guy, hate to see him go to the evil empire
I hate to see your mom go to the evil empire.
me too
All i can say is i have no respect for andruw if he signs with the pinstripes… Ill take your photos off the wall….
THE signining of off season…the balance of power in the East has swung back to the Bronx. I am sure this will save their season and keep the playoff hopes alive.
He is listed @ 6’1 170lbs…really?
Yes, in high school.
Well done Rabbitov…i swear when i saw you response to that monkey i laughed out loud
It would be a solid signing, as he’ll provide some OF depth and can hit lefties well, which will help out with Granderson and Gardner who aren’t the best against Lefties. He can also still play solid defense, especially in the corners. I wouldn’t call it a great signing or anything, but i’m sure Jones will definitely earn his money, which i’m assuming won’t be more than 3mil.
Yankee Stadium favors lefties (See Damon, Johnny), it’s not going to make much of a difference in Jones’ home run numbers.
Nothing against Andruw, he’s a median fourth outfielder, it’s not crazy to sign him.
But this Yankee team is not the Yankees. I doubt it would win the AL Central or AL West. It has a pedestrian outfield with no offensive star. Cano and Tex are stars, Jeter and ARod are ex stars, so the infield is the strength of the team. No catcher, but few teams have one. The rotation can’t prop up this collection, and the back end of the bullpen is only useful with leads.
I predict the AL wild card won’t come from the East.
Jones is a good fit for what the Yankees need. I’ll reserve judgement on calling it a great signing or not, once the terms are disclosed.
Darth Vader?
I agree, but with Boras as his agent, there’s a good chance it’s an overpay.
You’re telling me when Montero, the best yankee prospect in a decade, gets called up he’s not going to get playing time?
Not a great rotation, but a good rotation. CC is a all star, Burnett might go back to and OK form, Hughes can keep progressing, then if they got Dempster, he is good, but probably not all star calliber. And then they still don’t have a solid number 5, so don’t say the rotation would be great if they got one ok-good guy
Why would the Cubs trade Dempster? They just gave away a bunch of prospects to get a pitcher and contend. Not to mention he has a reasonable contract. If anybody they would probably be willing to get rid of Zambrano or Gorzelanny
I agree he’s an upgrade defensively. offensively I’m not so sure, or at least not by what Thames did last year. Not saying he would be a lock to replicate those numbers however.
Montero is going to get playing time. Just not a starting job just yet.
Montero is going to get playing time. Just not a starting job just yet.
He won’t get called up if he doesn’t have anywhere to play. Martin was an all-start..Montero doesn’t have a single ML at-bat. Let’s be realistic about his chances pushing through cervelli AND martin to become the every day starting catcher.
He won’t get called up if he doesn’t have anywhere to play. Martin was an all-start..Montero doesn’t have a single ML at-bat. Let’s be realistic about his chances pushing through cervelli AND martin to become the every day starting catcher.
He won’t start, you don’t just stick a Catcher with no Mlb experence in a make him a starter, bring him in slowly and he can start next year, Yankees have tons of catching right now, Cervilli-Montero-Martin-Posada, and a few minor league guys Sanchez-Romine….. so Cervilli-Sanchez and Romine are blocked and could be really good trade bait
He won’t start, you don’t just stick a Catcher with no Mlb experence in a make him a starter, bring him in slowly and he can start next year, Yankees have tons of catching right now, Cervilli-Montero-Martin-Posada, and a few minor league guys Sanchez-Romine….. so Cervilli-Sanchez and Romine are blocked and could be really good trade bait
I’d argue Hughes and Joba were at least equally highly considered prospects. They were both top 5 prospects at some point.
I’d argue Hughes and Joba were at least equally highly considered prospects. They were both top 5 prospects at some point.
i ghughly doubt montero is the best yankees prospect in a decade…and no he is not going to go full time right away thats why they got martin
Martin was an all star… but not recently, he was non tendered for a reason. Right now, I think Montero will get the starting job as a catcher the day he’s called up. They’re not going to mess up his confidence like they did with Joba by letting him start then back up the next day. When he gets called up, he’ll be there to stay.
Let’s not live in the past.
You have to figure there’s a reason why the Rangers allowed seven different players to play at least a couple innings in CF during 2009, and Jones wasn’t one of them. You have to figure there’s a reason why he didn’t play center much with the White Sox (his UZR/150 was horrible there, but it’s far too small a sample size to glean any conclusion from it) in 2010.
Pardon me if I don’t see the up-side of spending what is likely to be at least $2MM for a guy to backup CF when he probably can’t field the position anymore. I know the Braves defense is fairly poor anyway, but Turner Field isn’t known for being a hitter-friendly park like The Ballpark in Arlington or U.S. Cellular.
I can see the reasons why people would want Jones back in a Braves uniform, but the added cost, his age, the uncertainty around him being able to field his primary position and a roster with several internal options already available are some pretty decent reasons to pass as well.
-C
but the dodgers didn’t know he was going to get off roids.
You’re right, however, Martin was non-tendered more so because of the money aspect.
Matt Wieters, Carlos Santana, and arguably Buster Posey (he started at 1B I know, but he took over the day they traded away Molina) all disagree with you.
Matt Wieters, Carlos Santana, and arguably Buster Posey (he started at 1B I know, but he took over the day they traded away Molina) all disagree with you.
Man i’m mad >:( I cant believe three people disagree with me…. Syche
JOE MAUER is another example. Twins traded away Pierzynski and Mauer started right away
Those are the three most recent examples of big catching prospects are they not? That’s how they have been brought into the majors lately. So you can take a catcher with no MLB experience and make him a starter. The managers call the game a little bit more then normal, it’s not a big deal. If they struggle, they can be sent down, or they can play through the challenges.
And i personally wouldn’t trade Sanchez, he’s said to have a higher ceiling then Montero offensively, and be solid behind the plate.
i have to agree that Montero isn’t going to be called up without a place to play. Those 3 examples that you listed were all mid-season callups. Montero isn’t breaking camp with the big league club. If there’s an injury, be it in the outfield or to Posada or Martin, Montero will get called up to fill the spot and stay. The other possibility is a trade. Whenever the Yankees decide to make a spot for him – behind the plate or elsewhere, he’ll come up and stay. But for now, he’s in AAA.
Yes, I should have been more specific in terms of position players.
Isn’t Larry Rothschild a great strikeout guy. That would be nice because CCs and Burnetts Ks decreased last year. I’m not sure because I don’t know anything about him but weren’t the Cubs pitchers very good strikeout pitchers.
This was entertaining to read. To sum it up: you’re basically saying that as long as pitcher puts up 15-20 wins, they’re a great pitcher. Thanks for the valuable insight.
What do you mean YOU people?
very, very far from TOP 5. sorry, man
CC, Burnett, Dempster, and Hughes is not better than Philly, SF, Angels, A’s, Brewers, Tigers, Braves, Cardinals, White Sox, Red Sox, and Tampa and maybe not even the Rangers, Dodgers, Marlins, Reds, and Twins.
In conclusion, even if they were to acquire Dempster AND Burnett had a bounce back year, their rotation still might not even break top 15.
Montero will make his debut w/ the Yanks this year if he isn’t traded. I don’t think the Yanks will expect Martin to catch any more than 80-100 games and Posada can be limited to probably 120 games at DH if they wanted to. I see Montero being called up in late May/June if he gets off to a good start. He can probably see 40 games at C and another 30 @ DH.
When exactly was AJ on steroids? You have proof? His name hasn’t come up in anything offical, so please elaborate.
I Don’t think 2M would be a waste of money. Jones has already lost 20lbs, and is more focused and dedicated than he has been in years. I know Chipper is a legacy player, but that is where the waste is in this lineup. In addition, if the Braves would exercize a 2.5M option on Gonzalez (Slugging under 400), why wouldn’t they make an offer for Andruw?
his age? he is only 33..people want him because he is a great platoon…he crushed left handed pitching last season…his D was not that bad in CF, not bad enough to lose a game. his D in right and left is very good…
all this needs to stop. please stop comparing catchers in systems. All of the guys listed above, mauer, posey, santana and weiters were known as defensive catchers who can hit…montero is an offensive catcher who no one thinks will stay at C very long
Montero IS the best Yankee prospect in a decade. Doubt it all you like, but read some scouting reports and articles first and you’ll find that just about everyone says that!
The last thing Sabathia needs is to INCREASE his strikeouts. Now, I’m not generally one to pull out the “OMG HE SO FAT” argument, but Sabathia IS an overweight guy and his body type would be best served by continuing down the already succesful path he’s ventured down of pitching more to contact. More contact means less pitches as long as he’s keeping the ball on the ground.
Burnett’s decrease in strikeouts is disconcerting because he doesn’t have the stuff to compete without them, Sabathia is a different matter.