Comments on: Reds sign Jacque Jones, Daryle Ward

By: Jose

Jose — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:03:52 +0000

I actually love both moves
at least they have more to look at….
instead of Taveras being our “Savior”

By: brublejr

brublejr — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:57:28 +0000

Ward is an Ok bench player and some nice power off the bench, but he really can’t play the field much. Jones can play the field Ok, but he really has lost a lot at the plate. Jones is a terrible signing considering that Dusty is the manager. If anyone else was managing it would have been a decent signing.

By: KY Chip

KY Chip — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:06:46 +0000

Just spotted this a few minutes ago and I don’t think it had been mentioned here yet. MLBtraderumors.com has updated their Jones signing news to include the following info from the Denver Post:

“The Reds added Jacque Jones on a $600,000-minor-league deal. The outfielder can request his release if not on 25-man roster between April 3-5.”

Just throwing that out there…

By: KY Chip

KY Chip — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:57:00 +0000

Chad – you’re right on the “worst case scenario”. For a moment there, I forgot who’s filling out the lineup cards.

By: BenL

BenL — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:51:16 +0000

Really? I’d take the Norris Hopper of two years ago over any of the other options for lead off hitter. Is Hopper today the same as he was two years ago? Probably not, but I hope so.

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:47:23 +0000

Well, I never said it was a throw up in my mouth signing. Did I?

As for whether it’s “a progressive decline,” I think that’s unnecessary splitting of hairs. Four of his last five years have been bad. He’s 34. I see no reason to believe he’ll be anything more than a fifth outfielder-type.

I don’t have a single problem with Jones being the fifth outfielder on the Reds in 2009 — independent of the Dusty Baker factor. That’s what has me worried.

By: Tartan

Tartan — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:17:06 +0000

I’d rather see anyone get burn in LF than Norris Hopper. Nobody has bunt hit their way to the playoffs in a long time.

By: David

David — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:55:02 +0000

Chad I considered posting this before so let me clarify. I’m not at all suggesting that Jones is an All-Star or that he is even going to make the team.

But the numbers aren’t a progressive decline. In 2006 and 2007 he had the same BA and OBP. He also had the same number of doubles.

For some reason in 2007 his HR total fell off a cliff. Then he had an awful season in 2008. It caused people to say “what the heck happened to Jacque Jones.”

Detroit was psyched to get him for Infante because he absolutely mashed post-All-Star break in 2007.

All I am saying is that this is a relatively good low risk high reward signing and is not even close to the type of I-just-threw-up-in-my-mouth-a-little-bit signing.

By: Jimmy James

Jimmy James — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:32:26 +0000

What about the fact that Jones only has 6 homers in, what? His last 600 ABs?

Was all of that post-Mitchell Report?

By: rpa

rpa — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:23:00 +0000

that’s some work-induced brain-deadness going on.

i mean to say that 2009 looks a lot like 2008

(for financial forecasting purposes, though, i say 2010 looks a lot like 2009…)

By: Steve Price

Steve Price — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:22:42 +0000

Ward signing is a good power bat off the bench.

Jones signing is a mistake, and a Dusty Baker “veteran” approach waiting to happen.

That being said…Bill James says that Lasik surgery may have had the biggest impact in the game in the past few years, and just the other day said it may be a primary reason that a player’s prime age has increased from age 27 to age 28.

These guys are past 28….if it’s bench and part-time help, it’s worthy. Somebody will get hurt…

By: rpa

rpa — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:11:21 +0000

yeah, patterson was a minor league contract, too.

jones smacks of being a “dusty signing” to me. here’s hoping he turns out to be more hairston than patterson.

ward, i don’t know. at first i had the same reaction, but the more i think about it, he kind of fills a need or two

1) left handed bat off the bench
2) backup 1b

so in that sense, uh, i guess.

and when the reds best move of the offseason is either signing ramon hernandez or signing daryle ward… well, i think 2010 looks a lot like 2009.

By: Deaner

Deaner — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:11:26 +0000

Ward off the bench as a PH is good. As for Jones… ehh… I would honestly rather see Chris Dickerson get the playing time in left.

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:08:40 +0000

I pretty much agree with that, Chip, and it’s sorta what I have been saying.

Only thing I disagree with is this: “At worst,” Jones plays like the crappy player he’s been for four of the last five years, and Dusty Baker still plays him five or six days a week. THAT’S the worst case scenario.

I will never complain too much about someone who is slated to be a bench guy. Jacque Jones couldn’t kill the team too badly as a fifth outfielder. It’s the Dusty factor that scares me.

By: KY Chip

KY Chip — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:54:46 +0000

Chad — I’ll give you that Jones is getting on in years and that he’s no longer an everyday OFer, but no one is saying that he’s suddenly going to become an “above-average hitter”. No amount of at-bats in the Mexican winter league is going to do that, as you pointed out.

However, should he regain some of the power he suddenly lost in ‘07, he could be a good pick-up for a 4th/5th OF and PH.

At best, Jones regains his stick and joins a LF platoon with an equally resurgent Jonny Gomes (I did say, “at best”, remember). At worst, he comes to Florida, shows that last year was no aberration and gets his walking papers.