Jones Offered Arbitration

by Jesse on Dec 8, 2005 1:55 PM EST in News

Just when you think it's over...

As the 11pm arbitration deadline approached last night, the Twins made the offer to long-time outfielder Jacque Jones. By offering Jones arbitration, they retain the right to sign him. Had they not offered him arbitration, they would have been unable to sign him until after May 1.

Rumored to have received interest from Kansas City, St. Louis and Atlanta, Terry Ryan maintains there is still a slight possibility the Twins could retain Jones. All this after I gave Jones exactly a 0% chance of returning just days ago...you shouldn't be toying with me like this, Ryan...

Now that Jones has been offered arbitration, he has until December 19 to accept it. If Jones does accept, the Twins retain exclusive negotiating rights toward a contract. If Jones declines, the Twins have until January 8 to resign him. If they don't or can't get him to sign by Jaunary 8, they cannot resign Jones until after May 1...essentially ending Jones' tenure in Minnesota.

Should Jones come back? For him, he can certainly get a bigger contract elsewhere. For me, I'd love to see him in right field for one more season. For the team, well, that's the question.

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I'd still go with 0%

This was the right move by Terry Ryan, but it doesn't have anything to do with keeping Jones.

If someone else signs Jones now, we get draft pick compensation. He's type B, so I think that means we get one first rounder when someone else signs him. Someone else is going to sign him, so this was basically a choice between whether we want the draft pick compensation or we don't want the draft pick compensation. TR chose correctly.

by ubelmann on Dec 8, 2005 2:44 PM EST reply actions

It's a dangerous move by Ryan...

for reasons I list below. Plus, rarely will a Type B free-agent yield a first round pick, even though that's the stated price. If there are two free agents signed by the same team, the worse yields a 2nd rounder. Three, a 3rd.

And I'm not sure that a supp 1st is the alternative, unless the team is in the first half of the first round, which is unlikely.

Sometime your low self-esteem is just good common sense.

by statman on Dec 8, 2005 3:08 PM EST up reply actions

Nah...

He's probably the best free agent OF right now. St. Louis will sign him in the next month. If they don't, KC will.

And if Henry Blanco, can yield us a 2nd rounder, Jones will get us something decent as well.

My faith's in ol' Terry and I think this will be seen as a good move.

by TheMattWilke on Dec 8, 2005 5:33 PM EST up reply actions

Mebbe

ubelmann's right, it's probably more about the pick than anything else.

Still, you could look at it as a bit of insurance in case they can't land Mench in the expanded deal with Texas that ESPN is reporting.

by CarterHayes on Dec 8, 2005 2:50 PM EST reply actions

Wrong info

If Jones accepts, they will not lose him unless they trade him. If they can't work out a contract, they go to arbitration. (Lord, get him out of here)

Ryan is counting on him signing to receive a pick, but I'm not so sure Jones would be better off financially by declining.

I see 3/$12 in his future if he signs with someone. He makes $7 in arbitration and be a FA next year. The Twins only recourse to avoid paying would be to trade him (prior to arbitration) to one of the clubs wanting him--for next to nothing, probably.

Sometime your low self-esteem is just good common sense.

by statman on Dec 8, 2005 3:04 PM EST reply actions

Uh....

Jones has already had offers much, much better than 3/$12M. He's going to sign somewhere else for at least 3/$18M, and I wouldn't be that surprised if someone went as high as 3/$24M. St. Louis really needs someone to replace Larry Walker, and all of Walker's contract is coming off the books, so that would give them money to do it. There's no way Jones is going to be in a better financial position by acceptiong arbitration.

by ubelmann on Dec 8, 2005 3:20 PM EST up reply actions

This is like the Koskie and Guardado deals...

TR talks with the agent, makes sure that the player has better offers than he can get in arbitration (more years, probably more money per year), and offers arbitration. Almost no risk (Jacque would be stupid to accept), high reward (a first rounder and a sandwich pick if St. Louis signs him, a first round sandwich pick and a second rounder if Kansas City signs him).

It's a no brainer.

Joe Mauer fan since 1998, when I lived next to Cretin's ballfield.

by cmathewson on Dec 8, 2005 3:50 PM EST reply actions

Do they get two?

I thought teams only got one pick in return for type B free agents. So, the Cards' first rounder if they sign him, or a first round sandwich pick if KC signs him.

by ubelmann on Dec 8, 2005 5:00 PM EST up reply actions

One pick is correct

And it will not be a supplemental pick. If St. Louis signs him, they get the Cardinals first round pick. If Kansas City signs him, they get the Royals second round pick.

The only way this changes is if either team signs a free agent rated higher. If that happens, the Twins get the next round pick from each team.

by snuessle on Dec 9, 2005 9:57 AM EST up reply actions