Andruw Jones will NOT be back w/ Braves

[AFBlue]

Looks like Jones will hit the FA market.

Positives: Only 30yrs old, plays gold-glove calibur defense, and can hit 40 dingers a year

Negatives: Coming off a poor season, will demand major $$, and performance has waned over past couple years.


Would any of you guys want him for $18-20M a year?

Braves prepare to move on without Andruw Jones
Associated Press

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves are cutting ties with Andruw Jones, saying they can't afford to keep the perennial Gold Glove center fielder who's spent his entire career with the organization.

General manager John Schuerholz announced the decision Tuesday, shortly after breaking the news to Jones at Turner Field.

While hoping to stay in Atlanta, Jones wasn't caught off-guard by the team's stance. He made $13.5 million this season and was looking for a raise despite slumping badly.

"I'm fine with it," Jones told The Associated Press when reached on his cell phone. "I'm appreciative of the chance they gave me to play for Atlanta all these years. I understand the decision they have to make. That's just the way it is. It's a business."

Indeed, the move was not unexpected as the 30-year-old Jones batted only .222 in the final season of his $75 million contract. He's eligible to file for free agency after the World Series.

"It just doesn't work for us," Schuerholz said. "It doesn't demean or diminish everything he's done, and I thank him for all his contributions. We all will have fond memories of him."

The Braves plan to use the money they'll save on Jones to bolster their starting rotation -- a glaring weakness beyond John Smoltz and Tim Hudson -- and to sign first baseman Mark Teixeira, who made $9 million this year and is eligible for arbitration.

Still, it was the end of an era in Atlanta. Jones first joined the Braves as a 19-year-old, hitting two homers in his first World Series game at Yankee Stadium in 1996. He has been one of the game's greatest defensive outfielders, winning nine straight Gold Gloves with his diving catches and over-the-wall grabs in center.

Jones would have preferred to stay with the Braves, but the team had no serious talks with his agent, Scott Boras.

"I thought there would be some negotiation or something," Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur told the AP. "I guess that's what's so weird, that it happened so quick. It's obviously sad when you lose a teammate and good friend."

Jones also was one of the game's top sluggers in 2005-06, combining for 92 homers and 257 RBIs, but his production tailed off dramatically this season.

Jones fell to his worst average since becoming a full-time starter in 1997, with 26 homers and 94 RBIs.

Schuerholz said the team got an offer from Boras last December but never seriously considered it.

Boras withdrew the offer, believed to be in the $20-million-a-year range, over the summer when the Braves never responded, Schuerholz said.

"What that did was to signal what we could fully expect," the GM said. Asked how much Boras was asking for, Schuerholz held his right hand over his head. "I can't reach that high," he quipped.

"It was so far removed from what we could even consider doing," Schuerholz added.

Jones is only the latest longtime Braves player to cut ties with Atlanta, following Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Javy Lopez. Once one of baseball's highest-spending teams under Ted Turner, the Braves cut their budget in recent years and went through a change in corporate owners.

"We have to use our assets in the most effective way to put the best 25 people on the field," Schuerholz said.

Jones spent much of the year preparing to play elsewhere in 2008.

"I've been telling people this for a long time," he said. "It's a business. You can't take it to heart. I just have to move on and start with a new team."

When it comes to contract matters, Schuerholz normally deals only with a player's agent. But he decided to call in Jones for a face-to-face meeting.

"It was appropriate for Andruw," Schuerholz said. "He deserved that."

[MajorMike]

yes.

[Cry Havoc]

That's a bit much. Of course, there's no salary cap in the ML.... so.... who knows.

He's worth at least $12-13 mil per year. I think the Braves are making a huge mistake in not signing him again.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

While I'm a sentimental fool who wishes to see Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Andruw and Chipper all retire as Braves, I also understand that Andruw's defense has faltered and his bat has performed far too poorly for the likes of the monies he will honestly command on the open market.

Now the onus is on Schuerholz to lock up Teixiera before even going to arbitration (better deal by not forcing Mark's hand) and getting some pitching.

Also, as a wonderful replacement in CF, I present...

[ATRAIN]

He was almost traded to the Astros a few years ago, I wonder if they would take a chance on him.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

He was almost traded to the Astros a few years ago, I wonder if they would take a chance on him.

Because that's exactly what the Astros need.

An albatross of a contract while attempting to rebuild a franchise from the ground up.

[monosylab1k]

As a Rangers fan, I'd much rather see them go after Torii Hunter if they're gonna pay big bucks for a CF.

Jones would be very nice, and he'd probably hit 50 HR's in Arlington.....but from my limited exposure to him, he seems like an injury prone fella who plays half ass most of the time. Hunter, meanwhile, is known for going balls-out every game.

EDIT: he's not injury prone at all, i dunno why I thought that.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

As a Rangers fan, I'd much rather see them go after Torii Hunter if they're gonna pay big bucks for a CF.

Jones would be very nice, and he'd probably hit 50 HR's in Arlington.....but from my limited exposure to him, he seems like an injury prone fella who plays half ass most of the time. Hunter, meanwhile, is known for going balls-out every game.

Not that I want you to take him, but a suitable replacement at an affordable price...

[leemajors]

He was almost traded to the Astros a few years ago, I wonder if they would take a chance on him.

we have pence and/or anderson.

[K-State Spur]

most scouts/defensive bible believers don't think he plays the gold glove caliber defense anymore.

i think there's a good chance that if you signed him to a 5 year deal @ 8 million per you could end up regretting that, so I certainly wouldn't go anywhere near 15-20 million per.

signing guys at the end of their primes to large salaries and long term deals that take them well past their primes is a good way to handcuff your team (unless you have the payroll flexibility of the Yanks or Sox).

The Cubs may love Soriano now, but ask them if they are still glad they made that deal in 3 years.

[DOMINATOR]

overrated.
yeah andruw is only 30-31 but he has been in the league a long time and his body is showing big signs of that.

he will be on a west coast team... giants probably. anything more than 12mil is dumb. his production last season wasn't even worth 7million.

[K-State Spur]

with Rowand and Jones likely to be priced well above their actual value, a bargain might be Corey Patterson. He's a subpar offensive player, but he does provide plus power and plus speed - and still is one of the game's best athletes with room to improve at just 27.

Also, according to the Fielding Bible, he is the best defensive CF in baseball.

If a team already has some other boppers in the line-up, he'd be worth a reasonable price to go get 'em in the OF, steal a lot of bases, and hit a few HRs.

He's also indicative of how the once promising OF free agent market has dried up.

[SrA Husker]

with Rowand and Jones likely to be priced well above their actual value, a bargain might be Corey Patterson. He's a subpar offensive player, but he does provide plus power and plus speed - and still is one of the game's best athletes with room to improve at just 27.

Also, according to the Fielding Bible, he is the best defensive CF in baseball.

If a team already has some other boppers in the line-up, he'd be worth a reasonable price to go get 'em in the OF, steal a lot of bases, and hit a few HRs.

He's also indicative of how the once promising OF free agent market has dried up.

One important thing to also remember is that the "most hyped" free agent won't necessarily be the best. Case in point - Barry Zito vs Ted Lilly. One was much cheaper than the other, yet turned out to be a key component on a playoff team.

[Whisky Dog]

I wouldn't give more than 5 mil per for 3 years to Jones. Dude's washed up.

[Silver21_Black20]

overrated.
yeah andruw is only 30-31 but he has been in the league a long time and his body is showing big signs of that.

he will be on a west coast team... giants probably. anything more than 12mil is dumb. his production last season wasn't even worth 7million.

I don't agree that he is overrated but I do agree that even though he is 30, he will go downhill from here. His best seasons are well behind him.

[FromWayDowntown]

I wouldn't bite on Andruw Jones at his expected asking price.

Andruw has become a relatively one-dimensional player, a power hitter, who's thrived on a defensive reputation that is no longer valid.

Of all qualifying hitters in the MLB in 2007, Jones had the 3rd worst batting average (only Ray Durham and Nick Punto were worse).

For the most part, the only NL players with a worse OPS singles hitters: Pedro Feliz, Rafael Furcal, Juan Pierre, Stephen Drew, Ryan Theriot, Craig Biggio, Felipe Lopez, Ray Durham, and Omar Vizquel.

You'd expect that a guy whose best dimension is his ability to hit for power would not be comparable to those players in a category like OPS.