Frak!

Dodgers Shore Up Center Field With Jones

Now the Los Angeles Dodgers have a star center fielder to go with their popular new manager. While most teams accomplished little during the winter meetings, the Dodgers landed one of the few prime free agents in this year's market, reaching a preliminary agreement with Gold Glover Andruw Jones on a $36.2 million, two-year contract.

A five-time All-Star, Jones hit .222 for Atlanta 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, and many wondered whether the 30-year-old's skills are diminishing.

"We still see him as a very good player. You don't win 10 Gold Gloves playing a defensive-oriented position and not have a lot to your resume," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Thursday. "Some people say he's not the same player he was five or six years ago. We'll find out if he is or he isn't. But he's still probably the best center fielder in the National League."

My one hope for this offseason, my one hope for next season, was that the Giants would pick up Andruw Jones. He'd be a perfect fit for our park, a guy who would hit a lot of ball into triple's alley to score the amazing amount of speed we have at the top of the order. Now he's going to do that in a stupid blue hat.

We need a bat, and now it seems that our best chance is trading one of our hot young pitchers for Alex Rios.