Category: Jacque Jones
Slowly, but surely, Jim Hendry is ridding the Cubs of his middling free agent acquisition mistakes. Neifi Perez to the Detroit Tigers. Glendon Rusch to injury. The latest is Jacque Jones to the Tigers (oh, how we love the Tigers). Ryan Dempster, Jason Marquis, and Scott Eyre: be ready.
The Cubs are also sending the Tigers some cash, though we do not yet know how much. It seems likely to be at least the $1.3M in signing bonus money Jones is due in January.
In exchange, the Cubs get Jose Macias (man, Derek, you're too quick with that joke). To be fair, Omar Infante is younger and probably better than Macias was when the Cubs acquired him in December 2003. He did, after all, post a 101 OPS+ as a full-time second baseman and 22-year-old in 2004. In any event, as the aforementioned Mr. Smart notes, something else could happen yet this offseason to make the acquisition of Infante make more sense.
Big innings win games, and the Cubs had a big inning in a big game last night.
Rich Hill was, for the most part, excellent, striking out nine and walking none in seven innings. Two of the three runs he allowed came on Corey Hart's bloop single to center. Hill has been the Cubs' best starting pitcher since the All-Star Break.
Alfonso Soriano returned and did nothing at the plate and looked hesitant in the field. Still, I feel better with him in the lineup.
Less than two months ago, Jacque Jones was on his way to Miami. In the unlikliest of turnarounds, he is on pace to being one of the heroes of the season. Going into last night, Jones had hit .326/.372/.479 since Lou Piniella reinserted him into the starting lineup on July 13. He has also played good defense all year, which is especially important given that he has been next to Cliff Floyd many times. See Cub Town for more on Jones.
The fielding error by Scott Linebrink on Ryan Theriot's high chopper to the mound during the fateful 7th inning last night was interesting for one particular reason: it was actually scored an error rather than a hit. That was the correct call; Linebrink should have fielded the ball (though Ron Santo disagreed with me). But Linebrink did have to make a small jump for it and, in today's baseball world, most scorekeepers call anything a hit where the fielder has to make more than a minimal amount of movement. It is one reason why fielding percentage statistics need to be taken for no more than they are worth, which is not much.
With the Cubs' win over the Brewers, and the Cardinals' win over the Astros, the Cardinals now sit in second place. I told you I was worried about them. 1060west is worried, too. ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski tries to sort out the NL Central. He also notes something cool that the fans did last night:
Joe Aiello from View from the Bleachers notes a report from Bill Madden of the New York Daily News that Bud Selig prevented the Cubs from trading Jacque Jones to the Florida Marlins last week. According to the report, "Seems Selig deemed the money the Cubs were to absorb on Jones' contract
as excessive. Apparently, the pending sale of the Cubs has prompted a 'no more debt' edict from Selig." As Joe notes, the "no more debt" explanation makes no sense, since the Cubs would have been relinquishing debt, albeit minimally given how much of Jones' salary the Cubs likely would have continued to pay.
Ryan Dempster, who was initially supposed to be ready yesterday, and then today, was feeling his strained left oblique even when jogging, was placed on the 15-day disabled list today. To take his spot, the Cubs purchased the contract of their 2002 3rd round draft pick, Billy Petrick, 23, from double-A Tennessee. To make room for Petrick on the 40-man roster, the Cubs placed Wade Miller on the 60-day disabled list.
The Cubs are still at eleven pitchers. Lou Piniella said before tonight's game they will be back up to twelve for tomorrow night's game, reports MLB.com. Piniella also said that Felix Pie and his 648 OPS are here to stay. Jacque Jones is still on the roster, but he is not playing. Whoever wants him can have him tomorrow, it appears.
The Cubs want to get back up to twelve pitchers when they resume National League play on Monday, so some position player needs to go. Just a few weeks ago, Mike Fontenot would have been an obvious demotion, but he has played well enough to stick for now. The Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer reports that there are actually some teams interested in acquiring Jacque Jones (64 OPS+). "According to baseball sources, the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and even the White Sox have shown recent interest in Jones." The question then, I suppose, is how much of Jones' remaining salary the Cubs are willing to pay and whether they will receive anything other than a single-A player in return. Jones is making $4M this year, is due $1.3M in January 2008 as part of his signing bonus, and will make an additional $5M in 2008. If Jim Hendry were to get another team to take Jones' 2008 salary, it would be almost as impressive as getting the Tigers to pay Neifi Perez's salary this season. The other option would be to get someone to take Cesar Izturis's (59 OPS+) $5.5M contract for next season.
The Daily Herald's Bruce Miles writes in today's paper that "there have been rumblings that Piniella is growing impatient with the roster given to him by Hendry." I'd be curious to know what Piniella wants.
The Cubs are currently 6th in the National League in runs scored, but there are certainly problems on offense. Three of the top four outfielders have slugging percentages below .400. Jacque Jones, Matt Murton, and Cliff Floyd have just four home runs between them. None of them have ever had slugging percentages that low over a full season, excepting Floyd's rookie year as a 21-year-old in 1994. Jones is hitting .245/.302/.335 as the starting centerfielder. Much more of that and the Cubs will be compelled to replace him with Felix Pie for good. The trouble is that Jones is signed through next season, and for $6.3M.
The Cubs have recalled OF Angel Pagan from AAA Iowa and sent Felix Pie back down to Iowa. With both Jacque Jones and Felix Pie hitting from the left side, the Cubs lacked a platoon partner for Jones in center and regular playing time for Pie. Pagan, a switch-hitter, gives them the platoon partner. He's in today's starting lineup against Pirates' lefthander Paul Maholm.
But is Pagan a good platoon partner for Jones, assuming that's the way the Cubs use him (along with, presumably, as a late inning defensive replacement)?
In a very thought provoking article in today's Sun-Times, staff reporter Gordon Wittenmeyer notes that all the money spent has not created a cohesive team form either the offensive or defensive perspective. See: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/360635,CST-SPT-gordo27.article
One question I have is whether there should not be an even bolder change in the field. Why not put Alfonso Soriano back into a second-baseman role? That could give Cliff Floyd playing time, keep Pie around, and let Murton fight it out with Jones and Derosa for right. Keep Theriot playing as long as he is hitting. Izturis and Jones could be traded, for that matter.
Just a thought. Soriano might feel relieved to be back at second and start hitting.
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