Jacque Jones a Tiger?

Tigers near deal for Cubs OF Jones

November 12, 2007

By JON PAUL MOROSI

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

The Tigers and Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing a deal that would send infielder/outfielder Omar Infante to Chicago and outfielder Jacque Jones to Detroit, according to one industry official with knowledge of the negotiations.

The deal could be announced as early as today, the official said.

Jones, who is due to make $5.5 million in 2008, would play leftfield for the Tigers. It’s not clear if he would be an everyday player there, or if the club would use a platoon of Jones and Marcus Thames or Ryan Raburn.

Jones, a left-handed hitter, batted .285 with five home runs and 66 RBIs in 135 games this past season. Jones, 32, is regarded as a capable defender in leftfield and has hit more than 20 home runs in a season four times during his career.

Jones’ arrival answers the biggest remaining question among Detroit’s everyday players entering next year. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2008 season, at which point top prospect Cameron Maybin may be ready to play in leftfield on an everyday basis.

Infante, who is eligible for salary arbitration, became expendable for the Tigers after the emergence of Raburn and utility infielder Ramon Santiago. Infante played 66 games in the majors this year, his lowest total since 2002, and batted .271 with two home runs and 17 RBIs.

Infante may play centerfield for the Cubs against some left-handed pitching -- as he has done in Detroit -- and is valuable in the National League game because of his versatility. He played all three outfield positions for the Tigers this year, in addition to third base, second base, and shortstop.

In Chicago, he will be reunited with former Tigers manager Alan Trammell, who is now the Cubs bench coach.

Infante, 25, is likely to earn a raise over the $1.3 million he made in 2007.

Let's see what happens! Sounds like it could be a trade that is good for both teams!

Welcome Jacque Jones

It's official!

Tigers acquire Jacque Jones from Chicago Cubs

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has acquired outfielder Jacque Jones from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for infielder Omar Infante.

Jones saw action in 135 games with the Cubs in 2007, batting .285 (129x453) with 33 doubles, five home runs and 66 RBI. He hit .332 (79x238) in 66 games following the all-star break for the Cubs this past season.

"We are excited to add a quality major league outfielder like Jacque Jones to the Tigers organization," Tigers President, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager David Dombrowski said. "He is a proven lefthanded hitter at the major league level that fits our club well in left field."

A veteran of nine seasons in the majors with the Minnesota Twins (1999-2005) and Cubs (2006-07), he has compiled a .280 batting average (1255x4478) in 1,260 games. Jones has collected 164 home runs and 623 RBI during his career.

Infante batted .271 (45x166) in 66 games for the Tigers during the 2007 season, collecting six doubles, two home runs and 17 RBI.

Go Jacque!

Oh Do these people enjoy kicking all of the people I like off the team?

This is a low risk, high reward trade. Infante's playing time was going to be diminished with the emergence of Raburn. His playing time has fallen for the third straight time, and he has never had more than 55 RBI in a season. He's defense is not that good either, aside from 2B. Jones has a down year last year, but he provides the left-handed bat in LF that the Tigers have been searching for for 2 years now (and he still managed 66 RBI; 11 more than Infante's career high!). He has hit 20+ HR for 4 seasons, a career .280 hitter, and has good defense. I like this trade.

They Traded Rabelo?

Or are you talking about Infante

bobrob2004 wrote:

This is a low risk, high reward trade. Infante's playing time was going to be diminished with the emergence of Raburn. His playing time has fallen for the third straight time, and he has never had more than 55 RBI in a season. He's defense is not that good either, aside from 2B. Jones has a down year last year, but he provides the left-handed bat in LF that the Tigers have been searching for for 2 years now (and he still managed 66 RBI; 11 more than Infante's career high!). He has hit 20+ HR for 4 seasons, a career .280 hitter, and has good defense. I like this trade.

Yeah I know. I knew that he was most likely to be gone after this season partially because Leyland doesn't like him. Hopefully he will get more playing time in Chicago. I was just saying that I like JJ and they traded him. I like Omar and they traded him, maybe I should just not like people or maybe reverse psycology.

Please don't get rid of Tim Byrdak or Mike Hessman. I love them so much

gs78 wrote:

They Traded Rabelo?

No but if they do someone will be getting their kicked!!

Tigers acquire outfielder Jones
Utility infielder Infante headed to Chicago

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Jacque Jones was one of the rare visiting left-handed hitters to hit an opposite-field home run in Comerica Park before the left-field fence came in, back when it took a 395-foot drive to reach the fence in left-center. He was the first player to homer off of Jeremy Bonderman when Bonderman made his Major League debut in 2003.

He already has a small place in Tigers lore as an opponent. Now that he's a Tiger himself, traded by the Cubs on Monday for utility infielder Omar Infante, he's hoping to add to that history on the other side.

"I'm going from one good team to another, playing for a very good manager," Jones said Monday afternoon. "I'm excited." By pulling off the one-for-one swap, the Tigers filled their need for a left-handed bat to add some semblance of balance to a predominantly right-handed lineup. Until this deal, Curtis Granderson and switch-hitter Carlos Guillen were the only lefties slated to play regularly in Detroit's batting order. Sean Casey is a free agent and will not be re-signed.

The Tigers had tried to add a left-handed outfielder as far back as last offseason, but couldn't pull off a deal. With the Cubs looking to free up what had been a crowded outfield mix at season's end, they found their opportunity here.

"He gives us the capability," president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "He's a proven left-handed hitter that can play left field."

Most likely, he'll platoon there, probably with Marcus Thames but with Ryan Raburn also potentially in the mix. The combination of left-handed aces in the American League Central, from Minnesota's Johan Santana to Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia to White Sox star Mark Buehrle, will prevent Jones from having a truly everyday role. As his history shows, though, he can be an effective run producer when he's left to attack right-handed pitching, especially in his new home park. For his career, the 32-year-old Jones is a .294 hitter against right-handed pitchers, compared to .233 versus lefties. However, he hit left-handers for a .295 average in 78 at-bats this past season compared to .283 versus righties, one of many statistical curiosities in what ended up being a streaky 2007 season for him.

Jones averaged 25 home runs and 78 RBIs a season from 2004-2006 before hitting just five homers this year to go with 66 RBIs and a .285 batting average. Yet it was essentially a season of two halves. He headed into the All-Star break with a .233 average, two home runs and 20 RBIs. From there, he batted .332 with three homers and 46 RBIs in 258 plate appearances, helping the Cubs surge into the postseason. "Just more balls dropped," Jones said. "I had a more consistent approach. I didn't have any luck [in the first half]. I didn't have any consistency.

"It was a trying time for me in the first half, but looking back on it, it was a great thing. I got to see what I was made of. The mental side of the game was tested a lot going through all that. Just talking with different people after the season, I felt like it was one of the seasons I'm most proud of, because of that."

The Tigers are banking on the second-half hitting that Jones showed.

We look at him as a very solid player who is a .280, .290 type of hitter," Dombrowski said. "He's always been known as a doubles hitter. He had a tremendous second half average-wise."

His numbers are similarly effective for his career at Comerica Park, where he was a frequent visitor with Minnesota for six years. He's a .287 lifetime hitter there in 191 plate appearances, slugging 13 doubles, seven doubles and 30 RBIs in 47 games. He batted .407 (11-for-27) there in 2002 alone, including an opposite-field home run to left. A year earlier, he had four doubles in 30 at-bats.

"I've always liked hitting in that park just because it's spacious," Jones said. "It's not really a home run-hitting park, but there's a lot of space out there. If you stay out of the middle of the field as far as fly balls, you can hit there."

That's what the Tigers certainly are hoping to see from him again, this time in a home uniform. Add in Jones' contract situation, and there was a fit.

However manager Jim Leyland mixes Jones with Thames and Raburn, the combination essentially will hold down the spot for a year to give top prospect Cameron Maybin another year of development in the Minor Leagues. Jones is due to make $5.5 million next season, the final year of his contract. He also has $1 million due from the signing bonus he agreed to when he signed the contract two years ago, which the Cubs are expected to cover.

Infante, who will turn 26 years old next month, had an up-and-down career in Detroit, beginning as a shortstop prospect four years ago. He batted .264 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs in his only season as an everyday Major League player in 2004, but moved from starting second baseman to utility infielder the following summer when the Tigers acquired Placido Polanco from Philadelphia.

He began to settle comfortably into a utility role in 2006, showing an ability to hit after sitting for several games in a row. However, he never got a chance to play regularly again, including down the stretch that year after Polanco missed more than a month with a separated shoulder. He batted .271 in just 166 at-bats in 2007 with two home runs and 17 RBIs, essentially losing his role to Ramon Santiago when the Tigers wanted Santiago playing at short.

"He's played that [utility] role for a while with us," Dombrowski said of Infante. "And sometimes when guys are younger, they need a change of scenery where they get a little stale in that role."

Infante could remain a utility man in Chicago or compete for a role in the middle infield. He's eligible for arbitration this winter after making $1.3 million this past season.

With Jones in the fold, the Tigers have taken care of their positional priorities. They can now focus their attention on another guy named Jones as they try to address their pitching staff this week. Both Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones are free agents, and they'll be free to talk contracts with other teams beginning Tuesday.

Rogers and his agent, Scott Boras, are expected to gauge interest and offers from other clubs before talking again with Detroit. The Tigers continue to negotiate with Jones and his agent, Randy Hendricks, in hopes of reaching an agreement soon.

"I don't know what'll happen," Dombrowski said. "We have tried, and we would like to have both of them back."

Another over-30 player but at least he has a proven history and has some speed. Good point also that we disn't really give up very much in this trade.
I hope he can rediscover his power stroke to that RF porch in Comerica.

I hope so too Tigersaint!

I like this trade. Worst-case scenario we lose a player we don't really use...

gogetemtigers wrote:

DID NOT have to give up a quality minor league prospect!

That part makes me happy at least...

Jock......?

Jones was quoted, "I WAS excited, now I'm ecstatic"!!

Nothing better than a motivated ballplayer in a new setting.
Let's get this party started.....

Francona said, "I'm glad the TIGERS aren't in MY division!!"

GO TIGERS!

uh....yeah.

:haha:

I just can't help it.....

Me either sometimes :haha:

GO TIGERS!