A Couple Of Tidbits
Interesting note here in Jon Heyman's latest, the Yankees tried to get Andruw Jones to agree to a minor league deal.
I am curious as to why Jones turned them down because it doesn't seem like the Braves are going to sign him and the Yankees obviously have a need in center. He is getting paid millions by the Dodgers already so I don't see any situation where he would logically expect to get more than the major league minimum from any team. If he had taken the deal and won the job he would have been in a potent lineup with plenty of RBI chances to boost his value for his next free agent deal in 2010. Strange that he didn't take it, but I guess he is looking for a major league deal.
In other news, Derek Jeter will face the Yankees as a member of Team USA in an exhibition game this March. This will be weird to say the least, but perhaps the Yankees can use the site of Jeter in another uniform to start getting their minds thinking about 2011. Jeter will be almost 37 and a free agent. He will probably have somewhere around 2900 hits, so the pressure to bring him back as a Yankee will be even greater than it normally would have been. But, the Yankees have to be smart, they can't give him a long term deal and they will need to talk to him about a position change for the 2011 season. It could all get very ugly.
Comments
Been thinking about Jeter's contract expiration for a while and my guess is that he would make a move, if asked to be to a corner OFer for example, more easily than most other players. Do I view him as stubborn and sometimes foolishly playing through an injury? Yep, I do, but I think he would make a change in 2011 (or earlier) if he was "required" to do so. He also seems like the kind of guy who would have his disagreements behind closed doors, with no media ever getting involved.
Andruw Jones? Talk about falling apart ... wow.
Posted by: Mitchell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 5, 2009 05:22 PM
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I like Andruw Jones, really...
with that being said I would, if given the opportunity, give him an offer for my team of $1m or $2m with incentives of $10m if he hits at least .260 with 20 HR.
Chances are if he hits those milestones, he is playing a really good cf too
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 5, 2009 06:53 PM
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BL
I will always think of Jones just killing the Yankees in the '96 World Series at the age of 19. Isn't it amazing that he is essentially the same age as Carlos Beltran? (they are one day apart)
But his 2007 and 2008 numbers would scare me away from signing him to any kind of guaranteed deal. Maybe he ate his way out of LA in 2008, but what the hell happened in Atlanta in 2007? I assume you saw the bulk of it so any insight you can provide would be appreciated.
Posted by: Peter![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 5, 2009 08:22 PM
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Andruw Jones, meh? I think he's a lottery ticket. He's done. Jeter, big problem. Can see him moving to 3rd, A-rod to LF or DH. If Cano, fails to improve, Jeter could play 2B and Cano could get traded. Problem is wherever he moves he's not worth more than league average salary which is a 50%+ paycut.
Posted by: tim | February 5, 2009 08:55 PM |
my comment needs to be taken in context, $1-$2m in baseball is like a minor league deal unfortunately.
So, if you accept that, providing him with incentive $$$ to motivate him might be the only way to get him on slimfast.
The last year in Atlanta, his weight was up, but it had been up for years. Nobody complained about his weight the prior year when hit 50+ HR.
I think his maturity has always been a problem. Having the success at 19 that he did and the money he made from his humble beginnings has always left him somewhat content I think. I marveled at his abilities in Atlanta and always wished he could have reached his potential (never did). Should have been a .280 hitter with 40-50 every year and Willie Mays type defense.
Even with his weight gain, up until 2005 or 2006 he was the BEST defensive CF in the game, better than Griffey in his prime, better than any of them. My opinion obviously but watching him daily was as much fun as watching Maddux pitch.
go to www.790thezone.com (local sports talk) and look for the audio link to the interview they did with him a few weeks ago. Weird.
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 7, 2009 11:58 AM
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