Jock Jones now a Cub

[TW]

He "killed" RHP to the tune of .268/.348/.466 last year.  And he's got a weenie arm, which means he'll fit in well in our outfield.

Ok, so maybe I got a little bit excited.  From 02-04 he averaged .280/.333/.474 vs RHP.  He's a very good hitter vs RHP.  Remember, this isn't a guy we're asking to hit leadoff or 3rd or 4th.  This is a 6th or 7th spot hitter.  If he puts up his average vs RHP this year (vs RHP) we'll be in a good spot.

He made 4 more assists than Burnitz in almost 30 fewer games.  If his errors are of the throwing variety that means he's gonna catch anything and everything as his Fielding Pct and range are fantastic.

[CT]

He "killed" RHP to the tune of .268/.348/.466 last year.  And he's got a weenie arm, which means he'll fit in well in our outfield.

Ok, so maybe I got a little bit excited.  From 02-04 he averaged .280/.333/.474 vs RHP.  He's a very good hitter vs RHP.  Remember, this isn't a guy we're asking to hit leadoff or 3rd or 4th.  This is a 6th or 7th spot hitter.   If he puts up his average vs RHP this year (vs RHP) we'll be in a good spot.

He made 4 more assists than Burnitz in almost 30 fewer games.  If his errors are of the throwing variety that means he's gonna catch anything and everything as his Fielding Pct and range are fantastic.

Except that on this team, he's going to hit at least 5th, and considering Dusty's love of the right-left-right batting order, it isn't farfetched to think that the Jock will be hitting cleanup.

[Andy]

Ain't nothing really good about a .287 average or .333 on base against righties if you're a lefty.

[bozos72]

Silver lining:  Cardinals seemed to have agreed with Syd Ponson.

[TW]

290/.330/.470 is perfectly acceptable regarless of the matchup.  It makes you a MLB ballplayer who doesn't hurt you at the plate.  You'd take it in a heart beat from Jones.  It's a good platoon split.  If Jones put up a full year of stats like that you wouldn't complain.  So why would you complain if he was limiterd to only those situations where he could hit like that?

And I'm sure Jones will hit 3rd or 4th a few times this year when Lee/E-Ramis are out/hurt.  But it's not like he's being installed as a fixture in that spot.  It's not going to be because he's the best player.  It'll be because someone is out.  I'll grant you the 5th spot.  He may start there.  But that's more due to DFB's shortcomings than his own.  A smart manager hits him 6th and Murton 5th.  the fact that he may hit 5th isn't his fault and shouldn't be held against him.

[Dan]

I still can't help but think that Corey is a better player than Jacque.
If they just left him alone and batted Corey 6th or 7th from the begining, the Cubs could easily have a cheaper, faster, younger, defensively superior version of Jacque Jones, with better power.
Obviously Corey is so mixed up right now that Jacque is the safer bet.

[thehawk]

This sums up my view (with props to Deadspin for linking to it)

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/oracle/discussion/35073/

[CT]

This sums up my view (with props to Deadspin for linking to it)

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/oracle/discussion/35073/

Hey, if they're willing to play out the whole season in the Baseball Stars video game, I'm all for it.

[TW]

I love Baseball Stars.  That game rocked.

Caramis, Korey may have been those things.  He may still be those things for someone else.  But he curently isn't, and probably won't be while he's here.

[Dan]

Yeah, I know, Corey should be better than Jock  Jones, but right now, he's not.  But an average year from Jacque Jones isn't much better than an average year from Corey.  And despite Corey's miserable 2005, he's still younger and cheaper.

Here's what BP had to say about the move
The Damon deal wasn’t the worst signing of an outfielder with an 11-letter name yesterday, though, The Cubs--and you just knew it was going to be the Cubs--inked Jacque Jones to a three-year deal to play right field. Jones, 31, is a completely inadequate corner outfielder with the bat who doesn’t make up for that by being a plus defender. Since a two-year peak at 27 and 28 (.300 with power), Jones has settled in as a .250 hitter who walks once or twice a week and pops an extra-base hit about that often. He doesn’t have very good speed (13 steals a year the last three years, six triples total, double-digit GIDPs from the left side) and while his range is good, his arm is poor.

Jones is basically a fourth outfielder, about as good a player as Michael Tucker or Ricky Ledee or someone like that. His 2002-03 peak, and the Twins’ lack of better players, branded him as something more, but he’ll be a disappointment for the Cubs, who continue to have an organizational blind spot when it comes to on-base percentage.

Not encouraging.   

[Dave B]

I'm not crazy about this signing, but it was one of only remaining options. The Cardinals were hot after him so the Cubs had to go an extra year, but if they would've signed him their fan sites would be crowing over it today. Murton-Pierre-Jones is better than the Taguchi-Lassie-Bigbie OF shaping up in St. Louis. Plus, the Satanic Fowl signed Sidney Ponson, so it could be worse. I heard they promised him an "Aruba Day" in July to honor Natalee Holloway AND DK 57 on the same day.

[bozos72]

I'm not crazy about this signing, but it was one of only remaining options. The Cardinals were hot after him so the Cubs had to go an extra year, but if they would've signed him their fan sites would be crowing over it today. Murton-Pierre-Jones is better than the Taguchi-Lassie-Bigbie OF shaping up in St. Louis. Plus, the Satanic Fowk signed Sidney Ponson, so it could be worse. I heard they promised him an "Aruba Day" in July to honor Natalee Holloway AND DK 57 on the same day.

The Cubs would have been better off in the division if the Cardinals would have signed him.

I think that last sentence in teh BP quote sums it up about perfectly.  For a while there, it looked like the Cubs may be hit ove rthe head with OBP, you know, finishing last in the NL in walks while seeing your best (3rd or 4th place) hitter hit 335 with barely 100 RBIs...

I give Donut Jim until Spring Training to bring in a real hitter at a position we can still upgrade (SS) and then I stop being a supporter of his.  Ass-clown.

[Mike D.]

T-Dub--I admire the sunny optimsim, but you're out over your skies in even attempting to make yourself feel better about this.  Perhaps it would make the readers at "Bleed Cubbie Blue" feel better, but you can't sell that shit here, no matter how you slice and dice it (and STILL go through this tin can)

This has simply gone worse than we imagined.

Why all of these multi-year deals?  Does Hendry know he and Baker are gone and he just wanst to spite his successor by saddling him with Nefi and Jock?  Who the f@#$ knows, right?

The only move, it seems, that has not resulted in a multi-year deal has been the acquisition of Pierre, whose trade is the only beacon of light in a dreary offseason.

It's Ed Lynch all over again.  Hendry's getting beat on the draw and, instead of holding onto his bullets for another chance, blasts away at tin cans, after the fact.  And, the way things have been going, I wouldn't be surprised if Pierre decides to play for a new deal this year.

They would have been better off going into Mesa with Patterson as the right fielder.  You'd either get lucky and CP would hit,  and you'd have leverage  in dealing him (or--heaven forbid--keep him), or he'd suck...but at least you wouldn't be stuck with this insane Jock Jones deal.

I know Jones was a FA and was liable to sign elsewhere.  But by winning the Stupid Sweepstakes ahead of, among others, St. Louis, Hendry now has no leverage in dealing Patterson at all and, now that any shot of redemption for Corey is blown once he's sees he's out of a job, further sending him down his spiral, should be nil come pring.

I'm sick of this.  Anyone want to root for the Schaumburg Flyers?

[TW]

I don't know if I'd call it sunny optimism.  I still don't think they'll make the playoffs.  Nor do I think they'll be very good.  I'm just not as down on Jones as most others are (same goes for DBF and Barrett).  Yeah the offseason has sucked and it's going to take a huge trade to turn it around.  They'll repeat this year +/- 5 games or so.  It'll be more competitive because the Cardinals have gotten worse as well.  They are what they are and that's a 75-85 win team.  If DFB doesn't f-up this club too badly and they catch a couple breaks (like the Sox did) they could be a 85-90 win team.

The way I see it, they've remarkably improved CF and leadoff this year.  They lose nothing on Jones over Burnitz.  They get a full season of Murton.  Neifi will play less.  Macias is gone.  The improved the bullpen.  Cedeno is the big question (did he get it or is he nefiriffic?).

They haven't taken a step forward but they haven't taken a step backwards either.  They're stand with one leg up and hoping the wind is blowing favorably.

[Mike D.]

Neifi will play less. 

You're either not reading all of the tea leaves, or you're just choosing to ignore them.

I think I can speak for most here when I say that I am extremely skeptical that Neifi will play less.  You know he should play less.  I know he should play less.  My cousin in Galway, Ireland, who doesn't know anything about baseball probably knows he should play less.

But that doesn't mean he will play less.  And thinking he not only should sit more but actually will sit more is a very optimistic viewpoint.