Andruw Jones Update

Both Andruw Jones and Rangers GM Jon Daniels acknowledged that the outfielder will remain with the team for at least three more days.

“I’m here and I want to be here with these guys,” Jones said. “But we’ll see what happens. I’ll keep working with [hitting instructor] Rudy Jaramillo and maybe if things don’t work out here, other clubs will see the effect he’s had on my swing. This gives me more chance to work with him.”

Daniels has informed Jones that it is unlikely he’d make the major league club for opening. There are however some scenarios out there that could change the landscape.

Scenario #1: Trade or release Frank Catalanotto – The Rangers have indicated to Catalanotto they have no desire to release Catalanotto and would like to use him as an extra left-handed bat off the bench. Even though that means Catalanotto’s at-bats would fall to about 150 or so for the year, he’s not likely to request his release. The Rangers would be willing to deal Catalanotto, but he’s got $6 million in compensation remaining between his contract this year and a buyout on a 2010 option. The Rangers would probably have to eat at least part of his contract to get something done. It’s likely they’d be willing to do that. If they were able to move Catalanotto, however, it still only puts Jones in a bench role, which isn’t like to do a whole lot of good. The Rangers are too left-handed in the starting lineup and not right-handed enough on the bench.  Which leads us to . …

Scenario #2: Trading Hank Blalock – The club is not actively shopping Blalock, who also has $6. 2 million in compensation remaining. But a team desperate for a full-time left-handed hitter might be able to pry him away. If he shows an ability to still play third base, it might make him significantly more interesting to Houston and the New York Yankees, both of whom have come up with holes at third base recently. If the Rangers were able to move Blalock, then they could slide Jones into the fifth or sixth spot and break up a string of left-handed hitters who might be at a disadvantage against left-handed pitching. Right now, it looks like the 5-7 spots against lefties would be Blalock, David Murphy and Chris Davis. The Rangers could potentially move Davis to eighth and push switch-hitting Jarrod Saltalamacchia to seventh, but Saltalamacchia is only a .199 career hitter against left-handed pitching. It would really help to have another accomplished right-handed bat in the lineup.

Scenario #3: Send Jones to Triple-A Oklahoma to start the year – Just don’t see it happening. Jones said he’s not even thinking about the possibility of starting in the minors. I’m not sure what Jones would do if he doesn’t have a big league job at the start of the year, but if he’s going to go to the minors, I’d  bet he’d try to do it closer to his home in Suburban Atlanta.