Marlins Sign OF Jones to Minor League Deal

[JJ]

Jacque Jones reportedly will be playing center field soon for the Marlins. According to a major-league source, the Marlins are about to sign Jones, who was released by the Detroit Tigers earlier this season. The Marlins are expected to make an announcement in the next 48 hours.

The Marlins have been using the platoon of Cody Ross and Alfredo Amezaga in center field, but the addition of Jones means Amezaga will go back to his role as the team's utility infielder, and Ross will be the fourth outfielder.

Jones was hitting .165 when the Tigers released him, but he is a lifetime .278 hitter. He hit .285 with five home runs and 66 RBI with the Cubs in 2007.

With Amezaga moving back to the utility role, look for Robert Andino to be sent to Triple A Albuquerque (N.M.) to make room for Jones on the roster. Andino is hitting .182 and is hitless in his past 14 at-bats, with 12 strikeouts.

Source

[Swift]

Ken Rosenthal sees it a little differently:

Sources: Marlins reach agreement with OF Jones by Ken Rosenthal The Florida Marlins, the surprise leaders of the National League East, aren't standing pat. Securing additional bench help, the Marlins have reached agreement with free-agent outfielder Jacque Jones, according to major-league sources. Jones, 33, initially will report to extended spring training in Florida to get back into playing shape, then return to the majors as a fourth outfielder and left-handed pinch-hitter. The Tigers designated Jones for assignment on May 5 and released him on May 13. He batted .165 with a .244 on-base percentage and .253 slugging percentage in 90 plate appearances for Detroit — numbers well below his career line of .278-.327-.451. Once Jones is ready to join the Marlins, he likely will take the roster spot of outfielder Brett Carroll, adding to a bench that generally includes infielder Wes Helms and outfielder Cody Ross from the right side. Jones, like Ross, plays all three outfield positions. Josh Willingham, the Marlins' regular left fielder, has been on the disabled list since April 27 with a lower-back injury. He is not expected to return soon, and Luis Gonzalez will continue serving as his replacement in left. The Marlins nearly acquired Jones from the Cubs last June, but the trade fell through. The Cubs kept Jones for the rest of the season, then sent him to the Tigers for infielder Omar Infante in November. Jones' release from the Tigers occurred in part because of his poor offensive performance, and in part because the Tigers wanted their designated hitter, Gary Sheffield, to play regularly in left field — a plan the team has since abandoned. "It's our job to get this team going," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said at the time. "We're putting Sheffield in left because we haven't been able to get him going. "But the one thing I want to make perfectly clear is that Jacque Jones is not the reason we're four games under .500. Did he get off to a bad start? Yes, he has. But he's been nothing but a class act." Jones is earning $5 million this season — $2 million from the Cubs and $3 million from the Tigers. The Marlins will pay him a pro-rated portion of the major-league minimum salary — a sum that will amount to less than $300,000.

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[markotsay7]

Sigh.

If Rosey is right and it's a bench bat, fine.

If he's starting, I hate it.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by markotsay7 Sigh. If Rosey is right and it's a bench bat, fine. If he's starting, I hate it.

I'm the exact opposite, if I see any more Amezaga I may kill someone.

[Chewie]

I'm so frickin tired of seeing Cody/Amezaga hitting leadoff. I hope he starts.

[Ramp]

Originally Posted by Swift I'm the exact opposite, if I see any more Amezaga I may kill someone.

yep, my thoughts exactly

[!NICK!]

If Cody Ross were given the chance to be an everyday player he would take advantage of it, there's no doubt in my mind.

[EndLine]

There's no doubt in my mind that Cody Ross would take advantage of it in his first three games, then collapse for the next 13 games.

[!NICK!]

Originally Posted by EndLine There's no doubt in my mind that Cody Ross would take advantage of it in his first three games, then collapse for the next 13 games.

Since Cody Ross became a Marlin he's had 496 ABs, about the equivalent (a little bit less) of a full season for a starter. He's hitting .250 with 27 Home Runs with 86 RBIs, and an OPS around .800. That's as a part-time player. I believe he could do even better as a regular. Give the man a chance, sure he's not a CF'er, but neither are Alfredo Amezaga or Jacque Jones really.

[bobbob1313]

Originally Posted by !NICK! Since Cody Ross became a Marlin he's had 496 ABs, about the equivalent (a little bit less) of a full season for a starter. He's hitting .250 with 27 Home Runs with 86 RBIs, and an OPS around .800. That's as a part-time player. I believe he could do even better as a regular. Give the man a chance, sure he's not a CF'er, but neither are Alfredo Amezaga or Jacque Jones really.

He'd face more righties if he was playing everday, and that number would certainly drop.

[markotsay7]

Who said anything about Ross/Amezaga? Brett. Carroll.

[mbaamin08]

Just got the text message about the signing. The message reads

OF Jacque Jones came to terms on Monday on a Minor League contract with the Marlins.

This tends to back what Rosenthal said.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by !NICK! Since Cody Ross became a Marlin he's had 496 ABs, about the equivalent (a little bit less) of a full season for a starter. He's hitting .250 with 27 Home Runs with 86 RBIs, and an OPS around .800. That's as a part-time player. I believe he could do even better as a regular. Give the man a chance, sure he's not a CF'er, but neither are Alfredo Amezaga or Jacque Jones really.

I was as full in that boat as anyone.

I wanted Cody to get a full season of AB's and I thought he could be a 2 year answer in center. I really did.

He's done nothing this year to show that he deserves starters AB's, or that he can consistently hit right-handed pitching. I wish it were the other way around, and were it not for Cameron Maybin maybe we'd make an effort to find out, but Ross is just that 4th OF, lefty killer that good teams need but average-bad teams really have a lesser need for because he's just not complete enough.

[!NICK!]

Originally Posted by bobbob1313 He'd face more righties if he was playing everday, and that number would certainly drop.

He's hit righties better than he's hit lefties this year, and had an OPS of .974 against righties last year.

[Ralph]

Andino to AAA Jones to the bigs.

[Nny]

Yeah for Andino finally getting playing time

Boo for Carroll still not getting playing time

Can't we just like, call up John Gall or something? I mean by this point it's just filler until Hammer is ready. And that way Carroll is atleast getting consistant ABs