Jacque Jones has become something of a punchline for the commenters on this site. Cubs fans, who frequent MLBTR disproportionately, think he is worth something decent. Everyone else does not. Even as a Cubs fan I have to side with everyone else.
Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times writes today:
"The New York Mets are in the market for outfield help at a time when the Cubs are expected to renew their efforts to trade Jacque Jones."
An update on the Mets’ situation: Shawn Green comes off the DL from a chip fracture in his foot today. Endy Chavez should miss a month with a hamstring strain. Moises Alou had fluid drained from his strained quad on Monday, and said at the time he wasn’t close to playing. Carlos Beltran at least seems recovered from his bruised knee.
Given that Omar Minaya acquired Green last year, it’s not impossible to envision him snagging Jones on the cheap, hoping for a revival. Jones still wouldn’t get regular playing time a few weeks from now if both Green and Alou are healthy, however. Jones makes $4MM this year and $5MM in ’08, and one would assume the Cubs would eat some of that to move him for a warm body. Even a lukewarm body.
To my knowledge, Jim Hendry has only made one trade with Minaya. That was Hendry’s December 2003 acquisition of Jose Macias when Minaya was GM of the Expos. Theo Epstein and Dave Littlefield are Hendry’s favorite trading partners.