Nobody Fucks With The DeJesus
(props to Jacos for the headline)
The Cubs signed OF David DeJesus to a 2-year/$10 million deal with a 3rd year club option. It's actually $4.25M for the next two years with a $1.5M buyout or $6.5M in 2014. A Jim Bowden tweet indicates that the Cubs told him DeJesus will be the everyday right fielder.
Dejesus will be 32 next season and played for the A's last year and had the worst season of his career, a 93 OPS+ on the back of a .274 BABIP. His career slash line is 284/356/447 with a 106 OPS+. Great for a center fielder, kind of okay for a right fielder, but he's getting older and probably gonna be as good or worse than his career numbers going forward. That means baserunning and defense will have to make up some of the difference and if you believe in some of the defensive numbers out there, he seems to been quite an asset. Most of that time was in center, so a move to right field should be no problem. (Correction, played right for A's last year for the most part and put up great UZR numbers if you care for that). Although he doesn't steal a bunch of bases, his baserunning numbers seem to border on neutral to a slight positive. He's cheap enough and lefty enough that this isn't too big a deal to me and he does nearly see 4 pitchers per plate appearance which fits into the mold of grinding out at-bats. That all being said, it's a big old "meh" move. As Kevin Goldstein tweeted, it's a warm body that fills a need, and for a guy that at best should be worth about 2 wins over replacement, the cost makes it about right. But I have a hard time seeing the big difference between him, Byrd or Fukudome.
DeJesus
Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 23 | KCR | 12 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .286 | .444 | .571 | 1.016 | 159 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2004 | 24 | KCR | 96 | 413 | 363 | 58 | 104 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 39 | 8 | 11 | 33 | 53 | .287 | .360 | .402 | .763 | 97 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
2005 | 25 | KCR | 122 | 523 | 461 | 69 | 135 | 31 | 6 | 9 | 56 | 5 | 5 | 42 | 76 | .293 | .359 | .445 | .804 | 114 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
2006 | 26 | KCR | 119 | 552 | 491 | 83 | 145 | 36 | 7 | 8 | 56 | 6 | 3 | 43 | 70 | .295 | .364 | .446 | .810 | 108 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
2007 | 27 | KCR | 157 | 703 | 605 | 101 | 157 | 29 | 9 | 7 | 58 | 10 | 4 | 64 | 83 | .260 | .351 | .372 | .722 | 91 | 10 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
2008 | 28 | KCR | 135 | 577 | 518 | 70 | 159 | 25 | 7 | 12 | 73 | 11 | 8 | 46 | 71 | .307 | .366 | .452 | .818 | 118 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
2009 | 29 | KCR | 144 | 627 | 558 | 74 | 157 | 28 | 9 | 13 | 71 | 4 | 9 | 51 | 87 | .281 | .347 | .434 | .781 | 107 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
2010 | 30 | KCR | 91 | 394 | 352 | 46 | 112 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 3 | 3 | 34 | 47 | .318 | .384 | .443 | .827 | 127 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
2011 | 31 | OAK | 131 | 506 | 442 | 60 | 106 | 20 | 5 | 10 | 46 | 4 | 3 | 45 | 86 | .240 | .323 | .376 | .698 | 93 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
9 Seasons | 1007 | 4305 | 3797 | 561 | 1077 | 207 | 50 | 71 | 436 | 51 | 46 | 359 | 575 | .284 | .356 | .421 | .776 | 106 | 76 | 82 | 39 | 28 | 18 | ||
162 Game Avg. | 162 | 693 | 611 | 90 | 173 | 33 | 8 | 11 | 70 | 8 | 7 | 58 | 93 | .284 | .356 | .421 | .776 | 106 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
Fukudome
Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | 31 | CHC | 150 | 590 | 501 | 79 | 129 | 25 | 3 | 10 | 58 | 12 | 4 | 81 | 104 | .257 | .359 | .379 | .738 | 89 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
2009 | 32 | CHC | 146 | 603 | 499 | 79 | 129 | 38 | 5 | 11 | 54 | 6 | 10 | 93 | 112 | .259 | .375 | .421 | .796 | 104 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
2010 | 33 | CHC | 130 | 429 | 358 | 45 | 94 | 20 | 2 | 13 | 44 | 7 | 8 | 64 | 67 | .263 | .371 | .439 | .809 | 114 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
2011 | 34 | TOT | 146 | 603 | 530 | 59 | 139 | 27 | 3 | 8 | 35 | 4 | 6 | 61 | 110 | .262 | .342 | .370 | .712 | 97 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
2011 | 34 | CHC | 87 | 345 | 293 | 33 | 80 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 57 | .273 | .374 | .369 | .742 | 105 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
2011 | 34 | CLE | 59 | 258 | 237 | 26 | 59 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 53 | .249 | .300 | .371 | .671 | 87 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
4 Seasons | 572 | 2225 | 1888 | 262 | 491 | 110 | 13 | 42 | 191 | 29 | 28 | 299 | 393 | .260 | .361 | .399 | .760 | 100 | 35 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 17 | ||
162 Game Avg. | 162 | 630 | 535 | 74 | 139 | 31 | 4 | 12 | 54 | 8 | 8 | 85 | 111 | .260 | .361 | .399 | .760 | 100 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Byrd
Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | TB | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | 24 | PHI | 10 | 36 | 35 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | .229 | .250 | .371 | .621 | 66 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2003 | 25 | PHI | 135 | 553 | 495 | 86 | 150 | 28 | 4 | 7 | 45 | 11 | 1 | 44 | 94 | .303 | .366 | .418 | .784 | 111 | 207 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
2004 | 26 | PHI | 106 | 378 | 346 | 48 | 79 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 68 | .228 | .287 | .321 | .608 | 54 | 111 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
2005 | 27 | PHI | 5 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .308 | .400 | .308 | .708 | 86 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2005 | 27 | WSN | 74 | 244 | 216 | 20 | 57 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 47 | .264 | .318 | .380 | .698 | 87 | 82 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
2006 | 28 | WSN | 78 | 228 | 197 | 28 | 44 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 47 | .223 | .317 | .350 | .667 | 76 | 69 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
2007 | 29 | TEX | 109 | 454 | 414 | 60 | 127 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 70 | 5 | 3 | 29 | 88 | .307 | .355 | .459 | .814 | 112 | 190 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
2008 | 30 | TEX | 122 | 462 | 403 | 70 | 120 | 28 | 4 | 10 | 53 | 7 | 2 | 46 | 62 | .298 | .380 | .462 | .842 | 121 | 186 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
2009 | 31 | TEX | 146 | 599 | 547 | 66 | 155 | 43 | 2 | 20 | 89 | 8 | 4 | 32 | 98 | .283 | .329 | .479 | .808 | 106 | 262 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
2010 | 32 | CHC | 152 | 630 | 580 | 84 | 170 | 39 | 2 | 12 | 66 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 98 | .293 | .346 | .429 | .775 | 105 | 249 | 12 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
2011 | 33 | CHC | 119 | 482 | 446 | 51 | 123 | 22 | 2 | 9 | 35 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 78 | .276 | .324 | .395 | .719 | 96 | 176 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
10 Seasons | 1056 | 4081 | 3692 | 515 | 1037 | 215 | 27 | 81 | 436 | 49 | 21 | 271 | 691 | .281 | .339 | .420 | .759 | 100 | 1549 | 84 | 71 | 15 | 32 | 17 | ||
162 Game Avg. | 162 | 626 | 566 | 79 | 159 | 33 | 4 | 12 | 67 | 8 | 3 | 42 | 106 | .281 | .339 | .420 | .759 | 100 | 238 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 3 | ||
PHI (4 yrs) | 256 | 982 | 889 | 136 | 241 | 43 | 6 | 13 | 79 | 13 | 5 | 68 | 173 | .271 | .332 | .377 | .709 | 86 | 335 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 4 | ||
TEX (3 yrs) | 377 | 1515 | 1364 | 196 | 402 | 88 | 14 | 40 | 212 | 20 | 9 | 107 | 248 | .295 | .352 | .468 | .820 | 112 | 638 | 30 | 24 | 2 | 18 | 8 | ||
CHC (2 yrs) | 271 | 1112 | 1026 | 135 | 293 | 61 | 4 | 21 | 101 | 8 | 3 | 56 | 176 | .286 | .337 | .414 | .751 | 101 | 425 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 3 | ||
WSN (2 yrs) | 152 | 472 | 413 | 48 | 101 | 23 | 3 | 7 | 44 | 8 | 4 | 40 | 94 | .245 | .318 | .366 | .683 | 82 | 151 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
It's not that I'm advocating bringing back Fukudome, for one he's three years older, but it's hard to see where this improves the team much from the last few years and when you're at the bottom looking up, that should be the goal.
But since this is just move #1 of what I presume to be quite a few more before the offseason ends, we'll have to reserve some of the judgement on this to a later date. For one, they could be planning to trade Byrd and replacing him with DeJesus and I think that's a bit of an upgrade. Soriano might be on his way out as well and you do need someone to play these outfield positions. Plus you have to save money somewhere if they do plan to make a run at Fielder or Pujols.
Comments