White Sox reliever Nate Jones has undergone nerve repositioning surgery in his balky right elbow, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports (Twitter links). Recovery from the procedure will drag into the offseason, so he will not return to the mound this year.
Notably, the 31-year-old does not have any damage to his replacement ulnar collateral ligament, per the report. But with nerve issues continuing to linger well after he had been expected to return, Jones did require another significant surgery. (He underwent a Tommy John procedure in 2014.)
It had already seemed certain that Jones wouldn’t be marketed this summer by the rebuilding South Siders, given the injury uncertainty. Now, it seems, he won’t become a trade option for quite some time. And Jones also won’t be an option to step into the closer’s role if incumbent David Robertson is traded. (Tommy Kahnle appears to be next in line at this point.)
The news also has a direct effect on Jones’s contract situation. He is guaranteed $3.95MM next year regardless. But his 2019-21 options will now give the team an opportunity to retain him for less than it could have if Jones had stayed off the surgeon’s table for his elbow. He can now be controlled for the league minimum (2019), $3.75MM (2020), and $4.25MM (2021), with a $1.25MM buyout applying to any of those three years.
That complicated extension — similar in concept to those signed by fellow relievers Sean Doolittle and Adam Ottavino — had made (and still makes) Jones an interesting asset for the Sox. After all, he has largely been outstanding when healthy. Those are tantalizing salary numbers for a pitcher who carries a 2.49 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 over his last 101 1/3 innings. If Jones can make it back to full health, there’s reason to hope that his huge sinker and often-devastating slider will again make him a premium relief arm.
Hold onto those pitchers and pretend they get more valuable the longer you hold them.
The Dodgers could have got Cole Hamels but they wouldn’t deal Julio Urias.
Where Julio now?
What?
So teams should just quit developing pitchers
That’s not true stop. The Phillies wanted way more than Urias. Stop. Just as the Rays wants Seager and Urias for Price. It wasn’t just a 1 for 1, but keep spreading it. It doesn’t make it anymore true.
The Dodgers made Urias untouchable from the gate the same as Seager. That closed off any serious discussion.
This is a well established fact in trade rumors history.
The Dodgers offer was Yasiel Puig and Jose De Leon.
And the Rangers made Gallo untouchable, your point? Fact remains the Dodgers were unwilling to part with Seager. Can you blame them? You can look back at hindsight 20/20 and try to play this game. The problem is Urias wasn’t the sole reason as to why trades didn’t get completed. The Dodgers unwillingness to trade Seager was a key reason as to why many many trades didn’t get completed.
And I suppose the Diamondbacks were smart to deal Max Scherzer in 2009. Premium young, cost-controlled SPs are arguably the most coveted commodity in baseball (esp. right now) – and for good reason. Trading them is generally bad business, particularly for a team with L.A.’s bloated payroll. Holding onto Urias was the right process, regardless of the outcome. Pitchers just get hurt.
“Holding onto Urias was the right process, regardless of the outcome. Pitchers just get hurt.”
Your last two sentences are in the same paragraph, yet those two sentences directly contradict one another.
Julio Urias has achieved his ____expected____ outcome.
That is precisely why Urias should never have been untouchable for a primetime front line starting pitcher.
It is also absurd for prospect rating outfits to grade pitching prospects against position players on their Top 100 lists. There should be separate lists for pitchers and position players.
If you offered me the top three pitching prospects on any of those lists for Yoan Moncada I would laugh at you. I would need the Top Five to even think about it.
That’s reality. Deal with it.
You seem like a very negative person
Dude cole hames got destroyed in the playoffs. I would still rather have a 20 year old prospect than hamels who is getting up there
That’s an interesting contract. I’d be calling my agent right now and saying “is that really what I signed?”
Another failed dream by Williams and company. They can’t develop anything in their system, but they don’t care , they know they won’t get fired.
This may be one of the worst comments I’ve ever read on here. Give yourself a pat on the back
Agreed.
I have a feeling that this guys delivery led to this type of contract.