Andruw Jones To Yankees; Provides Depth and Power Off Bench

The New York Yankees and outfielder Andruw Jones have agreed to a one year, $2 million contract. The 34 year old outfielder will play a very important role in New York this season.

With management feeling confident in their starting outfield of Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, and Brett Gardner, the team decided against pursuing free agents such as Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth. This however left a void on the Yankees roster. They needed a backup outfielder, one that can provide some pop from the right side.

Jones will fill that void. Last season Marcus Thames occupied this roster spot and provided some power against left handed pitchers. Thames however was a liability when used in the outfield.

Andruw Jones was once considered the next big thing in Major League Baseball. He was a youngster that had it all,  a big time bat combined with a dazzling glove. In fact, Jones had won 10 Gold Gloves in his time with the Atlanta Braves. Many believed he was headed for a Hall of Fame career by the age of 30.

His career quickly hit a decline. After hitting just .158 for the LA Dodgers in 2008, it appeared as though his career might be over.

Since then, Jones has some what regrouped and become a valuable player off the bench. Last season, playing all three outfield positions for the Chicago White Sox, Jones hit .230 with 19 home runs.

Jones will provide depth off the bench for New York and play mostly against left handed pitchers. Granderson and Gardner struggled at times against left handed pitchers last season. Jones hit .256 with a .373 on base percentage and .558 slugging against lefties last season. Against righties, his numbers fell to .219/.327/.453 respectively.

The contract states that Jones can earn an extra $1.2 million in performance bonuses.

Jones has previously played for the Braves, Dodgers, Rangers, and White Sox.