Dodgers beat rival Giants in A. Jones sweepstakes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones is set to give the Los Angeles Dodgers the dangerous slugger they sorely need.
Now, they hope he bounces back from a miserable season.
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Jones and the Dodgers reached a preliminary agreement on a $36.2 million, two-year contract late Wednesday as action picked up on the final night of the winter meetings. The deal came hours after Detroit and Florida finished their blockbuster trade that sent All-Stars Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the go-for-broke Tigers.
A winner of 10 consecutive Gold Gloves with Atlanta, Jones must pass a physical for the agreement to be completed. The deal would give him the fifth-highest average salary in the major leagues.
"We're thrilled to get a player of his caliber," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Thursday morning. "His desire to be in LA was a huge component in this."
Colletti said Jones likely would undergo a physical exam Tuesday in Los Angeles.
"Being on a competitive team was a very, very important part of his process," Scott Boras, Jones' agent, said.
Jones is the first major addition for the Dodgers since they hired Joe Torre as manager. Los Angeles ranked 15th out of 16 NL teams in home runs this season with 129.
A five-time All-Star, Jones hit .222 for the Braves this year, his lowest average since he batted .217 in 106 at-bats as a rookie in 1996. His 26 homers were his fewest since 1997.
Had Jones finished with big numbers, he likely would have sought a longer-term agreement. Boras said there were really only two options when it came to contract length.
"Very, very long term or very, very short term," he said. "Nothing in between."
Also Thursday, outfielder Jose Guillen's $36 million, three-year contract with the Kansas City Royals was finalized.
Earlier Wednesday, Cabrera and Willis officially joined the Tigers when Detroit finalized its eight-player swap with the downsizing Marlins.
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