AP Wire | 12/05/2003 | Braves discuss trade for Twins’ Jones
After just being reported in the Minneapolis paper two days ago, the Jacque Jones rumor is making it to the mainstream with an AP story. He’s still not really a right fielder even if he played there down the stretch. I may have mentioned Brian Jordan as a comp before, but Michael Tucker might be a better one; Jones hits lefty, has medium range power, can’t hit lefthanded pitching, runs well but doesn’t have a right field arm, and would be a better fit in center than a corner.
The article also mentions that the Braves might be ready to sign Millwood, but Scott Boras is being megalomaniacal as usual and wants a five to seven year deal. He’ll get three, and like it. He’s turned down three years and $30 million from the Phillies, but I expect that’s about what he’ll get from whomever he signs with.
as long as I’m being totally unrealistic, lets hope the rangers deal a-rod and the braves set in and take nomar off their hands for furcal or something. yay for pipe dreams?
ESPN said this morning that the Braves are looking at Richard Hidalgo and possibly JD Drew for the right field spot. I like both of those guys better than the Jacques Jones/Raul Mondesi options that have been mentioned.
That’s what Jayson Stark reported in his latest column. I hope he’s right, but Drew — at least — would depend on the Cards nontendering him. Plus you have to have a backup for him, of course, and preferably a platoon partner. Hidalgo might be a better bet, but you’d have to trade for him. (Plus they apparently want Houston to pay part of his contract.) Then there’s the ugly Encarnacion possibility.
Aside from the somewhat cool concept of having three unrelated Joneses in the outfield (you know headline writers are creaming over that possibility), I can’t see how getting Jacque really helps the Braves. But then, getting Castilla and moving Chipper to left didn’t really help much either.
I read somewhere that KC was looking hard at Mondesi, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I like the Drew possibility, but the injury history is scary. I guess we could do worse than Jacque Jones.
I forgot to add that I thought Millwood should have accepted the Phils 3 yr/$30 mil offer. I can’t see him getting more than that, and sure as hell don’t want the Braves upping that offer. I think that is the max I would go for Kevin, despite Boras’ delusions. And even that is a stretch.
I still like the talk that the Braves are pursuing Andy Pettite. I would rather have him than Millwood, but either one would be nice. I am also hoping they divide the money from Sheffield among a lower priced outfielder and a front line pitcher.