Jones Heads West to Dodgers

by Chaddens on Dec 6, 2007 7:22 AM EST

This Could be good news for those that would like Johan traded to:
A. The Dodgers
B. The National League
C. Anyone not the Yankees
D. Anyone not the would be stacked Red Sox.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3143653

Does this open up the possibility of the Dodgers as a trade partner? My favorite line from the story: "Light-hitting Juan Pierre, who had been in center field, could switch to left -- potentially reducing playing time for Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier."

A conversation I'd like to hear: "Hello, Bill Smith? Ned Colleti, Dodgers here. We want Johan and we hear you need a centerfielder. Let me tell you about Matt kemp..."

Does this signing of Jones to LA bring the Dodgers back into play? Would they be (the best!!) a match?

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kemp

This makes Kemp expendable. Suddenly, Santana for LaRoche, Kemp, and Kershaw wouldn't hurt the Dodgers at all this year.

by diehardtwinsfan on Dec 6, 2007 7:48 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, I doubt the Dodgers would go quite

that far, but they have some nice pieces.

I like Kemp, but let's face that he really isn't a true center fielder. I mean, he can play there without embarrassing himself, but a Cuddyer-Kemp-Young outfield is going to be a minus range outfield.

Still, he's a talented guy, and the Twins should be looking for as much talent as they can get--sort it out later. If they can get both Kemp and Laroche they have to seriously consider that, though Smith seems intent on getting a starting pitcher back who is major league ready, and I don't see that from the Dodgers, since there's no way they include Billingsley with the young hitting talent.

Here's another idea, whicn I think is more likely, and which is similar in structure to one of the Red Sox offers: would you take Juan Pierre off their hands to get Billingsley and Laroche, say? I might, and I am about as far from a Pierre fan as there is.

by Eric in Madison on Dec 6, 2007 9:38 AM EST reply actions

Painful Pierre

A decent idea, as I like Billingsley and LaRoche, but Pierre's contract is long and pretty ugly. According to Cot's:

'08 $8m
'09 $10m
'10 $10m
'11 $8.5m

Pierre is just not worth that money and I doubt the Dodgers will be willing to eat money and give up two great prospects, especially with the money Santana will cost.

I do not see the Twins wanting anything to do with Pierre's contract.

These largely incoherent thoughts were hurriedly scribbled down

by Victor @ Twinkie Town on Dec 6, 2007 12:04 PM EST up reply actions

I'd rather have Pridie

Than Pierre.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Dec 6, 2007 12:21 PM EST up reply actions

Jones' contract

He got 2 years @ 18 million, that sounds like something we could have swung.

by Snarky on Dec 6, 2007 11:01 AM EST reply actions

It sounds like...

...he wanted to go with a team that he thought had the potential to win now. He probably wouldn't have seen the Twins that way.

by ubelmann on Dec 6, 2007 2:27 PM EST up reply actions

A little more than that

There's also the $18 million in signing bonuses. He's now the second highest paid center fielder in the game.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Dec 6, 2007 2:38 PM EST up reply actions

Per year...

...sure, but it's also a short-term commitment with minimal risk on the Dodgers' part. Judging by PrOPS-OPS, Andruw was the 2nd-most unlucky hitter in the NL last year. Add that to a solid track record, and he's a great bounce-back candidate.

If the Dodgers needed a center fielder, then I'd say this was a pretty good contract. I'm not so sure they need a center fielder, but signing Juan Pierre last year was the stupider of the two signings. (Also, if I'm the Dodgers, I wouldn't mind putting Kemp in a corner spot. Even if he does have the chops to field CF, having above average defense in a corner doesn't hurt, and I think Kemp's bat is good enough to play in a corner.)

by ubelmann on Dec 6, 2007 4:18 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with this

signing Juan Pierre last year was the stupider of the two signings.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Dec 6, 2007 4:43 PM EST up reply actions

Interesting

I teach at a prepatory school in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Bloomfield is the premiere suburb of Detroit; I teach ridiculously rich people's kids. Anyway, one of my student's fathers just purchased the Dodgers AAA affiliate, and he had a meeting with the GM, and with Torre, about not trading for Santana because he didn't want to lose some of these prospects. From what my student tells me, the Dodgers, at least three days ago, weren't interested for this reason. Just an interesting observation.

by Krogher on Dec 6, 2007 11:28 AM EST reply actions

interesting

I'm going to guess that this is probably one of the last reasons why teh Dodgers wouldn't go for Santana. Call me crazy, but if they don't want him, it's b/c they like Kemp/Kershaw/LaRoche much more. Kemp will be in the bigs anyways.

by diehardtwinsfan on Dec 6, 2007 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

if this source is reliable...

...and the story true, then it confirms what I've been hoping against, but what has seemed to be the case since before the winter meetings began.

by adam @ Twinkie Town on Dec 6, 2007 1:48 PM EST up reply actions

Lesson in self-importance coming his way

No big league club is going to give a damn about some AAA owner or his roster. Hell, whether the Dodgers traded prospects or brought them up during the season, either way Daddy loses his players. What's Dad gonna do? Tell the Dodgers not to bring up the hot shot so he can sell 100 more tickets?

If the kid, and his dad, think that, they're in for a surprise. Big-league clubs like to have good relationships with minor league affiliates, but those minor league clubs are there to serve the big-leagues. The tail never wags the dog.

"Man, the past is a long and twisty road." -- Satchel Paige.

by Firpo Marberry on Dec 7, 2007 11:57 PM EST up reply actions

what?

This was not how I read the post.

At first, I didn't understand diehard's post, but now I see he must have read it the same way you did. But was I the only one who read it differently?

Rather I read it that this guy, who just became the AAA owner, just happened, due to his new position, to be in on a meeting in which the Dodgers talked about not going after Santana because they (the Dodgers) did not want to give up their top prospects.

That a AAA owner would go to the big league club and say, "Hey, don't trade away these guys," just seems so absurd that this thought didn't occur to me. I can't imagine that's really what happened.

by adam @ Twinkie Town on Dec 10, 2007 12:33 PM EST up reply actions