It’s been a quiet offseason for outfielder Desmond Jennings, who was released by the Rays back in August and remains a free agent. The 30-year-old missed the majority of the 2015-16 seasons due to hamstring and knee injuries (including knee surgery in June of 2015), but Mike Fiore, the vice president of the Boras Corporation (Jennings’ agency), tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that Jennings is healthy and could sign with a team by the end of the week.
Jennings once rated as one of the top prospects in all of baseball and looked to be on the way to establishing himself as a solid everyday center fielder for the Rays. From 2011-13, Jennings batted a combined .251/.331/.410, averaging 18 home runs and 35 steals per 162 games played to go along with solid (if unspectacular) defense. His production took a step back in 2014, however, and he hit the disabled list with bursitis in his left knee early in the 2015 season. That injury eventually led to surgery, and while Jennings did briefly return in August, he was quickly placed back on the DL with lingering discomfort in the knee. He appeared in just 28 games that season and just 65 in 2016.
For a player with the leg issues that Jennings has experienced in the past two seasons, moving away from the artificial playing surface at Tropicana Field seems like a step in the right direction. Topkin suggests that a reunion with the Rays won’t be happening, but there are a number of clubs that could still use a right-handed bat to plug into the outfield mix. Jennings may not be an everyday option in center field any longer — the Rays had already been playing him in left field more regularly — but he should theoretically be able to split time across the three outfield slots as needed, assuming he is indeed back up to full strength.
From a purely speculative standpoint, the Orioles, Tigers, Twins, Braves, White Sox and Giants all seem like plausible landing spots for Jennings. However, to this point in the offseason he’s yet to be connected to a specific team.
This could be the move the Braves make since they have moved Adam Walker to the minors
Giants on a minor league deal?
I would think, that no matter where he lands, he is going to have to take a minor league deal this late in the off season.
My first thought as well. With a huge question mark in left, and the Giants apparently taking the “throw s**t against the wall and see what sticks” approach there, adding another candidate onto the mix doesn’t seem like the worst idea.
Agree completely with gmenfan. Giants are HOPING Parker and/or Williamson fill the void in LF, but adding another option into the competition during spring training can’t hurt
I completely agree with gmenfan. He’d have to pass the physical with that balky knee. “C’mon down!” and spin the Giants “Who is in LF?” wheel!
Giants have Parker and Williamson already, they aren’t going to go to Jennings
He’d probably be good for some minor league depth.
who wrote this article? his agent. jennings only averaged no more than 14 hrs in one season and no more than 31 sb. wtf.
Thought the same thing…this article is a plant by the Boras Corp.
per 162 games played
This^
I thought the same thing, and then caught the “based on 162 games played” part. Of course, he’s never played anywhere close to that many games in a season.
Still misleading though since even healthy players don’t play 162 games. At least adjust for 150.
Per 150 seems more arbitrary than the actual number of games in a full season. Baseball-Reference lists out 162-game averages whenever you select a range of stats from a player’s career.
It’s hardly the first time I’ve used a per-162-game average before, and it doesn’t strike me as particularly misleading.
Steve, I agree with your reply. Not misleading, per-162-game statistical normalization fine by me (and probably most readers).
Article says per 162 games. Not his average season.
May want to read it again and take back your criticism.
Per 162 games. Not per season.
Minor league depth with very little upside other than 4th OF.
Has Bursitis been known to be a career ending injury with lingering affects?
Good question
Not sure why the O’s aren’t in on him. Thought they should have made a play for Matt Joyce but that didn’t happen either… I know they’re loaded with platoon/AAAA corner outfielders already, one more spring training invitee couldn’t hurt.
Agree.
I’ve always liked Jennings and I think he can turn it around given the right opportunity.
Typical Boras PROPAGANDA !
Propaganda? A reporter (Marc Topkin) contacted the agency and asked for a health update. The agency responded with a quote.
There’s been virtually zero mention of Jennings in free agency all winter, which made the fact that he’s seemingly recovered from a season-ending knee injury fairly noteworthy.
It’s not like Boras is out here comparing Jennings to an astronaut that’s ready to be the first man to walk on Mars or something.
Red Sox on a minor league deal could be beneficial.
Crappy person and player. Rays were so fed up with how he handled his injuries. He’s here for a paycheck they stuck with him for longer than they should have to give him a chance to where fans were begging to cut him. He had no urgency to come off the DL and play, does not hustle at all our rookie manager called him out for it. Should not find a job. What a disease in the clubhouse
Newsflash – Every player is there for a paycheck. If they weren’t getting paid the big bucks, they wouldn’t be playing baseball for a living.
Even his fellow teammates were supposedly disappointed in his lack of effort. The narrative around him was that his teammates and coaches basically thought he was milking the DL in order to avoid playing.
Had no urgency to come off the DL. While I won’t dispute that, I’m sure his long term health was more important than him coming back to help the Rays go from bad to average.
I think that was the impression I got. He likely hated the turf and tried avoiding it. I can see his reasoning if true, but I also can see if that was true how teammates and coaches would take issue with that.
I don’t see him going to the Tigers since the Tigers have a couple of righty bats up for completion for the right handed side of the CF platoon already in JaCoby Jones and Mikie Mahtook
Now only if the Tigers could find a solid lefty on a minor league deal to compete with Tyler Collins (and Anthony Gose) for the left handed side
Scott Boros has been pulling the strings of Mike Illich for a very long time…. Desmond Jenning in Detroit is possible,
I could see rangers signing him to a minor league deal.