The Twins signed Jacque Jones to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Jones, 35 in April, sat out last season after hitting poorly in 2008. He hit one homer and posted a .147/.239/.207 line for the Tigers and Marlins that year.
The outfielder's best seasons came in Minnesota, where he was a regular from 2000-05. Jones' last productive year came right after he left the Twins. He hit a career-high 27 homers for the Cubs in 2006 with an .833 OPS. That marked the fourth time in five seasons he reached the 20-homer plateau.
The Twins have Delmon Young, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and Jim Thome around already. To make the team's Opening Day roster, Jones would presumably need to win a job from Brendan Harris, Nick Punto or Alexi Casilla or see one of the team's regulars get injured. Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Jones is willing to play in the minors if he doesn't make the team.
So Jones finally comes full-circle,………….. after busily trying to dodge eggs, trash, and beer-dumps in the Wrigley Outfield.
Jeez! Who knew Jacque Jones was still among the living?
Me. I used Jones as an example of a much more useful player the Cubs could have signed instead of Kevin Millar. I know, sad 🙁
Well, I guess maybe you kept your eye on him after the Cubby faithful ran him out of town? (You guys were not kind…).
Kevin Milaaaaah. Maybe not so much of an asset for the game, but he’s got jokes!
Oh, no, I cant stand Jones – dont get me wrong there. BUT, he is still more useful then Millar!
The cubs had an choice. Kevin for 500K and a roster spot at Iowa or 12 bucks for a Richard Prior CD. Somehow Millar won out, and it has me scratching my head to say the least.
“Jones, 35 in April, sat out last season after hitting poorly in 2008. He hit one homer and posted a .147/.239/.207 line for the Tigers and Marlins that year.”
So Jones is back at age 35 after posting those numbers in ’08 and sitting out a year. No thanks. I’m not saying that the Millar signing was not a waste, but I’m glad the Cubs did not sign Jones.
Millar is about 7th on the 1B depth chart. On the other hand, Jones would be in competition with Fuld and Colvin for the back-up job to Byrd. I would hope he lost out and would despise seeing Jones get another call to the majors, but if riddled with injuries Jones becomes somewhat of a needed commodity – something Millar would never be.
Millar is way down on the list. Jones would not be much higher as a back up. Fuld, Colvin and even Adducci could put up the same numbers Jones would provide. Jones is beyond dime a dozen at this point. He likely signed with the Twins to retire in the organization. Maybe he gets hired on by them in some capacity after this little comeback. Besides, it makes no sense for Hendry to go down that road again. It was not all that popular the first time around, even if this would be a minor deal.
“Jones would not be much higher as a back up. Fuld, Colvin and even Adducci could put up the same numbers Jones would provide.”
I meant for CF. On the Of corners, it gets worse for Jones. You could add Nady, Hoffpauir and Baker ahead of Jones at this point in his career. Not to mention the other names (Fuld and Colvin). Like I said, I think Jones is just there to give it a shot, but will retire in the Twins organization and maybe given a non playing job in the near future or something.
You know I know all that. But you also know that it is much more likely Jones would be used then Millar.
Millar is a completely useless signing. Jones would be a little bit less useless. Hence, Jones would have be a more useful singing.
“But you also know that it is much more likely Jones would be used then Millar.”
No, I do not know Jones would be used. Comparing Millar and Jones…bad and bad. Splitting hairs I think. Neither are going to see any real playing time. Saying one is less useless than the other is not saying much.
Couldn’t hurt to bring the old player back on a deal like this. Nice move Twins.
The Twins sure are making a lot of moves this off-season! They want to open up that new ballpark in style!
Organizational depth, nothing more. He won’t get out of Rochester unless there’s an injury or in the unlikely event that he tears it up at AAA. Aside from Pridie, Twins don’t any big league ready outfielders at AAA or AA.
Pridie was just claimed by the Mets. So who is MN considering the backup CF in the organization? Even if they count on Punto or Tolbert at the major league level there has to be a plan for a long-term Span injury.
Probably Dustin Martin. He was solid at AA in 2008, struggled at AAA, but absolutely torched the Winter Leagues this season. Other than that, there’s not much… surprising they let go of Pridie.
Yeah, I definitely would have kept Pridie around as a fourth outfielder unless they signed someone like the recently released Willy Taveras.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up doing that.
Tolbert will probably be the other OF. He played some in AAA. Maybe Casilla too. Both can play on occasion.
Span will gain most of the work in CF anyway. Now, if he gets hurt…………….
I’m surprised by the move. Lack of a speedy backup outfielder is what I’m most worried about from the Twins. What happens if Cuddy and/or Span hit the DL? Sure, Kubel can play LF/RF while Thome DHs, but what about Span and that pesky inner ear infection from last year. Who replaces him if he hits a sophomore slump or gets injured? The best prospect in the Twins organization is a CF, Aaron Hicks, but he is still at least a year or two away from the Majors.
IDK. Otherwise it’s a rock solid squad, but backup CF has me worried.
Do you mean Junior slump? 2009 was Span’s sophomore season.
Maybe Cuddyer, with Kubel in LF and Thome DH. Not a great outfield by any stretch but manageable — and just fine offensively. Not saying this is certainly the case, but in a pinch, it could happen.
The only question I have is if Jones can still play a competent CF at age 35. I’d expect him to make the team out of spring training barring something unusual happening.
I’m not aware Jones ever was a CF at any point in his MLB career…
He went through the minors in CF, played their when Hunter was injured for the Twins and I think he spent some time out there with the Cubs as well.
80 games in 2007 for the Cubbies.
60 games in 2000 and 80 in 1999 for the Twinks.
Consider me surprised.
Pridie is a AAAA kind of guy. It’s not hard to find outfielders who can play good defense, run a little, and have mediocre bats. In my opinion, Pridie was the obvious guy on the 40-man to be let go. The Twins will have no problem finding another outfielder like Pridie either in or outside their system. If Jacque Jones has anything left, he’ll be a better option than Pridie as a spare outfielder. If not, they’ll have no trouble finding a spare outfielder who is primarily a defensive replacement.
i watched jacques jones play in the Atlantic League last year … he isnt done as a player .. still a very quick bat …couldnt see the twins using as more then severe injury replacement … hell rot in AAA for a while and be released by May 1
Maybe Willy Taveras lands in MN??
Disqus needs a “Dislike” button. =
Why? Taveras can’t hit, but it’s not like Pridie could, and Taveras should be a better defender. Would seem like a minor upgrade to me.
Tavaras won’t accept backup CF money I’m guessing, but who knows? If he will, I’d welcome him as a late inning defensive replacement and pinch runner who can snag a base here and there. The 2009 Gomez role…
Saying “Taveras can’t hit” is like saying “Bengie Molina is a bit on the slow side.”
Last year was his first positive defensive year since 2006, and he’s got a combined OPS+ of 52 from 2008-2009. I’d rather see Dustin Martin get the job and at least have some marginal hope in the event that Span is injured. Or heck, if we’re going to bring in someone on a minor league deal, at least let it be Endy Chavez, who’s a phenomenal defender at all three OF spots, and has a slightly better walk rate for his career that’s actually trended upward the past few seasons.
I totally agree with Endy Chavez being a better option than Taveras. I think he would be a perfect defensive sub who could even press Delmon for playing time if he struggles. He could be the newest member of the “Pirahntas.”
The Strap is Back!
This reminds me of the Twins bringing back a early-decade era player last year: Corey Koskie.
Although, technically, Koskie wasn’t signed to a contract; merely allowed to come to camp with the team to workout and see if he could earn an invite elsewhere.
It’s a harmless signing that treats a veteran with respect. I like it.
“Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Jones is willing to play in the minors if he doesn’t make the team.”
And that is why he is signed.
Thank goodness and here is why and I so hope Jones reads this… My girl will be so very pleased to see him again one of the great reasons she fell in love with the game and got me back into going to the park none the less watching games after the strike yes after the strike Welcome home you will put a big smile on a girls face
“To make the team’s Opening Day roster, Jones would presumably need to win a job from Brendan Harris, Nick Punto or Alexi Casilla or see…”
Why would he need to win a job from one of the infielders?
The roster is full. Because they can play a poor reserve CF as well as he can, he needs to be better than one of them in some other way.
so he’s gotta hit > .250 with alittle pop and play a decent OF…