Andruw Jones told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he hopes to play for five more years. The 33-year-old hits free agency after the season and says he would like to stay in the Windy City.
“I would like to be here again and be a part of the Chicago White Sox," Jones said. "Hopefully, we can finish strong and make the playoffs and get on a streak."
As Jones pointed out to Merkin, he is no longer a threat to hit 50 home runs, but he still has value. In 171 games since the beginning of the 2009 season, Jones has hit 35 home runs and posted a .214/.322/.466 line. The power is still there, and at $500K plus incentives this year, he has been a bargain.
Jones suggests that he'd like to see more playing time, but that seems unlikely with Manny Ramirez about to join the White Sox. Still, as long as Jones' contract demands remain reasonable, teams should have interest in him as a bench bat and part-time outfielder. Jones is not the defensive standout he was when he won ten consecutive Gold Gloves, but UZR suggests that he is still a capable outfielder.
As much as I love bashing Jones… his hitting line is isn’t as bad as the initial first look. His ability to get on base isn’t bad and if he played a full year in a hitters friendly park he could probably get close to 30 HRs. He’d make a decent 4th outfielder as long as he doesn’t mind a 1 year deal for cheap.
Is U.S. Cellular Field not a hitter friendly park?
But it fits to Jones hitting. If you put him in a hitting friendly park, you’ll probably get your money’s worth. Still got mad power.
He would do better in the NL. Worth a shot for guys who need a power guy in their lineup next year lie the Astros.
Kinda hard to believe that if he does indeed play 5 more years (I know it’s a big “if,” but considering his seemingly realistic contract demands, it’s possible), he could be staring at 500 home runs. He came up young and was effective pretty much immediately, so they really have added up over the years, perhaps under the radar a bit. He’ll need about 90 or so more after this year, so it’ll be VERY close if he remains a ~15/year home run threat. My question is this: does he get into the Hall with the “magic number” of 500? I foresee an extreme case of staggering to the finish line, if he does get 500. I should add that my personal opinion is that he’s NOT a HOFer, but I can see the argument for it.
I was looking at his stats earlier and I have to agree that he has a legit shot at 500 HRs. If so it’ll certainly make for an interesting HOF debate.
During his 8 year peak he put up over 7 WAR 4 times. His overall career WAR at this moment, is ahead of OFers Tony Gwyn, Joe Jackson, Richie Ashburn, Gary Sheffield, Andre Dawson, Jim Rice. His peak was so good that he should be a BL Hall of Fame (Hall of Very Good?) player already w/o the 500 HRs.Of course the majority of his WAR came as a defensive player, and considering his lack of longevity as an elite player and the lack of “mainstream” defensive stats, it’s hard to imagine the HOF voters being as high on him as I am. Primarily because that career slash line will continue to decline the longer he plays.
I believe 6 players have gotten 10 gold gloves in their careers in the outfield. 5 of them are hall of famers. The other? Andruw Jones.
Griffey is not in the HOF (Yet)
True, but the point stands
I think the 5 OFers with 10 or mroe gold gloves (I mean I can look this up easily of course but I’ll put in my guesses) are Griffey, Jones, Mays, Ruth, and Kaline
Although if Ichiro wins this year he’ll have 10
Maybe it was 5, I’m not even sure, 6 came to my mind for some reason. The ones I can think of now (I did a little research a little while ago) are Griffey, Jones, Mays, Kaline, and Clemente. Ruth didn’t win any, the award didn’t exist yet.
Ahh forgot about Clemente, thanks.
LOL first of all I don’t know why I put Ruth in….Prob just thinking the name lmao
Sorry, my dumb mistake.
10 GG’s in a row, 500 homers. He will get HOF. Maybe not first ballot because of his average.
It’s a tough question. My view is this:
If he had stopped his career after 2006 or 2007, the only thing that would stop me from saying he’s a hall of famer is the length of his career, even though 10 very solid years is nothing to scoff at.
On the flip side, he didn’t and now the only thing that would stop me is how middling his career has been since then. To me, I don’t think “holding on too long” is a disqualifying factor. I don’t hold anything against Maddux for being a pretty meh pitcher the last few years because he was one of the greatest of all time before that. Same with Griffey.
So, while I’m not claiming Jones is in company like theirs (I think he’s more of a borderline case) I can’t hold it against him either. If I had a vote, I’d give it to him if he gets 500 HRs and maybe without it.
is this serious? What kind of weed is this guy smoking?
I really like Andruw Jones and I believe people don’t really understand how good he really was. Looking back, I believe he has a definite shot at the Hall of Fame. Yeah, his average isn’t great (.256) but he is a 5x All-Star, 10x Gold Glover, and is also in the category of guys like Chipper, Griffey, Pujols, etc. who are known for hitting without ever being suspected of being on the juice. He is also very durable, playing over 10 years without ever being put on the disabled list. I would just like to see him retire as a Brave along with Chipper.
I could definitely see him hanging around for a while. Maybe not five years, but he’ll just probably go from team to team being the fourth outfielder.
Jones should go to the NL and to an offense friendly park.
I think he’s a borderline HoF at best.
Hes still a very good defensive player and if he could just accept the fact that he needs to accept hitting singles sometimes he would be a decent bench player. Unfortunately he always swings for the fences and that causes problems
He’s a horrible situational hitter – every swing he takes is geared towards a 500 foot HR. I agree he once was a great player but I’d actually consider him a dfa candidate tomorrow when Manny gets added to the 25 man. Lillibridge, however, appears to be odd man out with Peavy going to the 60 day DL today.
I’d like to play 5 years in MLB, too. Doesn’t mean sh_t…
You don’t have 18 home runs this season. Or 10 GGs.
At age 34 (in April 2011) he currently has 406 HRS and 1,216 RBI to go along with 5 All-star appearances and 10 gold gloves. Those are numbers that ring a bell with most of the voters. If he can bump his HR totals above 500 hrs then I think he gets in.
The way he fell off,was he another roids guy?
I think it’s entirely possible, it’s just that I’ve never heard anything suggesting that he might have been on roids.
no, he just got fat.
could you imagine jones in a LF platoon with Ibanez at citizens bank park next year? He would rakeeeeee there
Ah, I miss the days of this quote…
“Water covers 2/3 of the Earth. The other 1/3 is covered by Andruw Jones.”
Yeah, accept the quote was stolen from Garry Maddox….
Who has a better shot at the HOF, Jim Edmunds or Andrew Jones?
if i had a vote, i would take Edmunds….i’m pretty sure Jones was at one point, on the juice. At least i have a good feeling Edmunds did it clean
Funny you compare the two cause as I was reading this I was thinking “if the Reds had to trade away Dickerson for a veteran OF Jones would have been a better choice, especially in GABP.”
Not sure I’d want the Reds to take a shot on him next year, but I can foresee Gomes wanting some good money now that he’s had good seasons two years running and besides Chris Hiesy and a handful of others are making a case for the job anyway.
Still, wouldn’t hurt if Jones is willing to do another $500K plus incentives (worth another $500-750K) to bring him on and see what he can do in a Gomes type role for a small market club.
Has there ever been any evidence to support the theory that Andruw Jones was on steroids? I have never heard anything.
neither
I guess the OF voters here for Jones should take a look at someone named Dwight Evans, who was every bit the glove, better arm, better offensive stats all the way around with exception of a few less HR’s and he never got many HOF votes during his time on the ballot.
Just what reason does a guy with a paltry average that is hovering near .255 now, OBP around .330 and going to decline even further the longer he plays give hope for votes for enshrinement? 500HR? He would just become the 1st person with that amount to never make it is all, even if he somehow managed to make it 2 more years as a reserve and can’t even see that.
Plenty of other more deserving people to be in the Hall before this guy, just since the 70’s. Dick Allen, Hondo Howard, Dwight Evans. No sense in putting in people like this who had 8 good seasons, then fell off the planet.
Andruw was a favorite of mine for many years. Sad to see what became of him, starting in 2007. He seemed on a path to the Hall (10 GG, widely regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders in the game, constant power threat and was on an easily foreseeable path to 500+ HR), but the past 3 years (2008 especially) were very damaging to his reputation. He was one of the worst players in all of baseball in 2008.
If I had to guess, I’d bet that he doesn’t make the Hall. It’d take a dramatic return to pre-2007 form, and that doesn’t seem likely. If he somehow hits 500 HR, then the baseball world will be forced to have a discussion on the Hall viability about a guy who, basically, ruled the world for a decade then instantly dropped off the face of the Earth, only to return a year later a quarter of the man he used to be.
Am i French? You suggest he is a decent player looking at his slash line and suggest he plays great D?
And someone else said he’ll get to 500 HR’s?
He is a #4 outfielder at best now.
Let’s be realistic. Andruw can be a 4th OF in a hitter friendly park. Also, Andruw Jones is not even a marginal HOF candidate.
yeah because his average sucks all the time
I don’t follow. His career average is .256 and he has exactly one season above .277. He has 406 HRs, so I guess if he can AVERAGE 19 HRs a season for the next five then he has an outside shot at being an HOF candidate. I just don’t see it. I loved Andruw when he was playing for the Braves, but that seems like such a long time ago and by the time he retires it will be hard to recall all the great things he did b/c he took such a long time to fade away from glory.
god damn it Andruw Jones! lose some weight/get in shape…
… wouldn’t mind seeing him back with the Braves though…
our outfield is pretty awful/platoonish besides Heyward… Jones would fit right in…
I wouldn’t say the outfield is awful. We’re in first place. Could it use an upgrade? Yes, without a doubt. Jones would not be an upgrade over anyone we currently have stationed in the outfield.
Jones’ is easily better than Ankiel and Melky, both offensively and defensively.
And Nate McLouth too.
I think Jones with the Braves, even as a 4th or platoon OF, makes a ton of sense.
Heyward > Andruw
Diaz > Andruw
But not too sure about Ankiel and Andruw.
As a Dodger fan…I pray he doesn’t make it to the Hall.