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Sunday Notebook: Jones Willing To Be A Part-Time Player; Rangers Remain Committed To Chris Davis And More

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Andruw Jones passed perhaps his most significant test of the spring Sunday morning: It was the test of enthusiasm.

He assured the Rangers of his desire to play for the club, even if it is in a part-time role. Jones’ willingness to accept such an assignment may very well push him on to the opening day roster and force Frank Catalanotto out.

“He said what we wanted to hear, which is that he wants to be here and wants to be a part of the team,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “We had previously told him he was not going to get a starting job. He expressed a desire to be on the club in whatever role [manager Ron Washington] feels will best help the team.”

“It was a very positive response,” manager Ron Washington said. “We needed to hear that. It’s a big factor in the whole situation.”

Though the club will not add Jones to its 40-man roster today, he is expected to let a second deadline for his addition pass. The Rangers will spend the next week trying to move DH-OF Frank Catalanotto in order to add Jones as a DH against left-handed pitching and as an extra outfielder. The Rangers still owe Catalanotto $6 million in salary and buyout options, but are willing to “eat” much of that salary in order to find a trade partner for Catalanotto. If the Rangers can’t trade him, they could release him and eat the full salary.

If the Rangers ultimately add Jones to the lineup, it could have an impact on several other players as well. DH Hank Blalock would relinquish the DH spot against left-handed pitching, but would likely get some of the lost time back at first base. That would have an impact on 1B Chris Davis, who might lose some at-bats against left-handers. Also, OF Marlon Byrd, a right-handed hitter like Jones, gets bypassed for an expanded role. He will be the team’s fourth outfielder, substituting for all three outfielders. He’s likely to get the bulk of his playing time replacing OF David Murphy against left-handers. The Rangers need to find a better mix against lefties than last year. They were 21-31 against them, which was the second-worst winning percentage in the AL.
MORE NOTES

• After the meeting with Jones Sunday, GM Jon Daniels sought out 1B Chris Davis in the Rangers’ clubhouse to assure him the team is still committed to him. Davis began the day hitting .245 for the spring and said he felt there was some concern about his spring performance. Davis then went out and homered for the Rangers’ first run against Los Angeles Sunday.

“I don’t think people around here have been disappointed, but maybe they’ve been a little too conscious of my spring struggles,” Davis said. “It’s what I do every spring. I don’t think anybody should be panicky. I feel like I’m seeing the ball really well right now. The numbers aren’t very good, but I feel 10 times better than I did two weeks ago and I’m getting closer every day.”

•  With only two weeks to go before the season begins, the Rangers have not made any official offer to OF Josh Hamilton about a long-term deal that could buy him out of his arbitration years and possibly some of free agency, too. Though Daniels and Hamilton’s agent, Mike Moye, aren’t scheduled to meet this week while Moye is attending a convention in Phoenix, an offer will likely be extended before the start of the season. If for no other reason, the Rangers would probably like gauge Hamilton’s interest in a deal.

The most important factor about getting such a deal done is the player’s desire for one. The agents for Hank Blalock, Michael Young and Ian Kinsler all pursued these kinds of deals with the Rangers. Moye hasn’t been as proactive because Hamilton is willing to let faith and fate play a part.

“It would be great to get one done,” Hamilton said. “It would be kind of a stress relief to know my family is taken care of. But [wife] Katie is OK and at peace with everything. And ultimately it’s in the Lord’s hands.”

Given Hamilton’s background – he frittered away a nearly $4 million signing bonus on drugs and alcohol – it might seem he’d be more motivated to regain financial security. But, on the other hand, he’s lost everything and still found a way to recover, so he may be more willing to simply let things fall wherever they fall.

• OF Cristian Santana has arrived from the Dominican Republic after being held up for more than a week while independent investigators confirmed his birth information. Santana and four other Rangers minor leaguers were among a group of 42 Dominican prospects whose visas were held up while MLB investigated concerns they had lied about their age. Johan Yan, who is expected to move from playing the infield to pitching, is also among the group, but is expected to arrive in camp this week. Neither Santana (19) nor Yan (20) saw their age change as part of the investigation. Three other minor leaguers, all considered organizational players rather than prospects, remain on hold in the Dominican.

• The Rangers will give LHP Jimmy Gobble, signed to a minor league deal, a legitimate shot over the final two weeks of camp to make the Opening day roster, but there are only three available spots for non-roster players on the 40-man roster (after RHPs Joaquin Benoit and Eric Hurley are placed on the 60-day DL). There are seven players vying for those spots: OF Andruw Jones, INF Omar Vizquel, RHPs Derrick Turnbow, Brendan Donnelly, Jason Jennings and LHPs Gobble and Eddie Guardado. It puts the club in the precarious spot of potentially jettisoning young players to keep veterans based solely on track record.

• Gobble, 27, could be a weapon for the Rangers in a one-batter role. Since moving to the bullpen in 2005, he’s held left-handed hitters to a .251 batting average, which ranks ninth among relievers who have at least 300 at-bats against lefties. But Gobble allows right-handed hitters a .309 average and it was an awful .382 last year. Including walks and hit batters, he allowed right-handers to reach 51.7 percent of the time.

• The next contract situation for the Rangers to resolve is that of Donnelly. They must either add him to the 40-man roster by Friday or allow him to take free agency. Donnelly is competing for a spot in the bullpen and entered camp as perhaps one of the favorite for a job because of a successful track record. Donnelly, however, allowed 10 baserunners in his first four innings of work. At best now, he appears to be on the same footing as the other veterans, Derrick Turnbow and Jason Jennings (who could start in the minors or relieve in the majors).