by Hans on March 31, 2009
MLB.com reported today that Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves have reached an agreement on a 3-year contract extension that would pay Jones $42 million and give him a chance to end his career exactly where he began it.
Jones, who turns 37 this April, was drafted with the 1st overall pick in the 1990 amateur draft. The move was considered a necessary disappointment at the time as Atlanta’s first choice, Todd Van Poppel, had stated he would not play for the Braves if drafted.
The contract itself is quite creative, filled with all sorts of games played bonuses along with two separate options for a 4th year extension for 2013. If Jones plays at least 127 games in 2012 or averages 127 games during 2011 and 2012, a $9 million vested option will kick in. If the option does not kick in, the Braves also have a $7 million team option they can exercise.
In addition to giving Chipper a legitimate shot at 500 home runs (he currently stands at 408), Jones gets the chance to retire as an Atlanta Brave, one of the very few with such talent and accolades who have always played for the same team.
With free agency dollars driving players to new teams, has the era of the franchise player passed? Will we see another generation Cal Ripken Jr’s. in Baltimore, Tony Gwynn’s in San Diego, or the Biggio/Bagwell boys in Houston?
One such remaining player is New York Yankee, Derek Jeter, whose contract will expire after the 2010 season when he is 36. Seeing how the Yankees extended Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada multi-year deals to keep them in pinstripes until they wave goodbye, is there anything that would keep Captain from doing the same?
Either way, a big thank you to Chipper Jones for reminding us that some players do understand the value of their relationship with a city, a team, and its fans. For many of us, that is priceless.
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by Hans on February 15, 2009
Third Base certainly has some premium talent, highlighted by cross-town rivals, Alex Rodriguez and David Wright, as well as the up-and-coming Evan Longoria. But once you get past these heroes of the hot corner, rounding out the top 10 is not as easy. Chipper Jones could lead the world in OPS if he could only stay healthy. Aramis Ramirez is relatively consistent, but his age and production are going in opposite directions. Greek God of Walks Kevin Youkilis just started hitting for power last year, so he still needs to prove it wasn’t a fluke. And for every Chipper or ARam or Youk, there are a gaggle of players who are to date all sizzle and no steak. But one young talent seems ready for a permanent return to the top 5.
If Ryan Zimmerman seems like he has been in the majors for a while, there is a reason for it. He was selected 4th overall in the June, 2005 draft and debuted in the majors less than four months later. At the ripe old age of 24, he now enters his fourth major league season and his third as the anchor of the Washington Nationals offense. A closer look at the numbers shows that the best is yet to come.
In his first full season of professional baseball, Zimmerman beat back major league pitching to the tune of 20 home runs, 47 doubles, 84 Runs, and 110 RBI. While his name appeared on the most 2006 NL Rookie of the Year ballots, he finished second to Hanley Ramirez. At the age of 22, he delivered a sophomore performance with a line of 24 HRs, 43 Doubles, 99 Runs, and 91 RBI’s. How would he meet even higher expecations as a 23 year old in 2008?
Zimm started the season hitting a bottom of the ninth, two out walk-off home run to win the first game ever played at the new Nationals ballpark. But after getting hot slugging .511 with 5 home runs in May, he was put on the DL with a labral tear in his left shoulder and would not return until late July. Zimmerman spent the month of August just putting the bat on the ball, making contact 85.6% of the time (his career average is 81.6%), and hitting grounders 53.7% of the time (his career average is 43.7%), which generated only 1 home run but led to a solid average of .320. He spent the month of September returning to his normal swing, his groundball percentage (42.5%) dropping back to career averages, and regained his strength slugging .516 with 5 home runs.
Entering his fourth major league season, Zimmerman finally has some lineup protection. Batting behind him will be newly acquired Adam Dunn, who averaged 41 home runs and a .533 slugging percentage the last 5 years. To put this improvement in perspective, Austin Kearns and Lastings Milledge “protected” him last year slugging .316 and .402, respectively.
Many will use his injury, the fact that he plays for the Nationals, or some other silly reason to write Zimmerman off as solid but unspectacular. I would not be surprised to see this 24-year-old doubles machine get stronger and end the year with a line of 30 HR’s, 100 Runs, 100 RBI, and a .300 average. With his shoulder healthy, his line-drive swing back and a big bat supporting him in the lineup, Zimmerman should be ready for the next step. And delivering 30, 100, 100, .300 would put put him among the top 5 Third Basemen for a long time to come.
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