Jones' Contract Restructured: Expect Business to Pickup

According the SI.com's Jon Heyman the Dodgers have reached an agreement with center fielder Andruw Jones that allows them to deffer $12 million of his original 2009 contract. This story broke last night and it is expect to foreshadow the next two key off season moves for the Dodgers. 1) Trade Jones, 2) Resign Manny Ramirez

Trading away Jones might not prove to be all that difficult. Previous rumors circulated had him being shipped off to the Mets, however it never materialized because the Mets and Dodgers couldn't work out the financials. I am sure there will be some team that is willing to take a shot at him as a reclamation project in center, or as speculated in the Mets rumor, in right.

Agent Scott Boras sold the Dodgers a lemon last season with the Jones contract and its conceivable that the Dodgers told him, 'Hey we'd love to sign Manny. The problem is we have this pesky Andruw Jones Albatross eating up loads of our payroll already.' Again that is just speculation on my part, but it could explain why Boras would have agreed to a restructuring.

The next key off season move for the Dodgers is to lock up Manny. He carried them into the playoffs last season and provided a lift for a young offense that struggles and is prone to hot and cold streaks.

FANTASY IMPACT

Andruw Jones would be on more or less be on his last chance. The Mets might be a good place for him to try and regain his swing and bravado on the playing field. The Mets showed their patience with Carlos Delgado last season and allowed him to work through his struggles at the plate, when many felt his career as a power hitting first baseman was over. The Mets patience paid off and they were handsomely rewarded when Delgado came onto be the hottest hitter in the majors over the last few months of the '08 season. They might need to be ready to wait out Jones to see if he can regain his homerun swing from yesteryear. The move to right field would allow him less wear and tare on his legs over the course of a long season and should only benefit him.

Don't expect great things out of the gate, but it could certainly be worth it to stash him. It will probably take him a while before he is able to swing the bat the way he once did. You can probably get him later on in the draft as a sleeper. However, is not a guy I would go out of my way to draft

Manny showed what can do when he wants to play hard last season with the Dodgers hitting 17HR, with 53RBI while hitting .396AVG in 53 games. He wanted to get paid this off season and boy did he earn it. I think Manny could go as high as the second round, as low as the fourth. Some might be hesitant to draft him, afraid he will turn it off and coast now that he has his contract.

I disagree. I think Manny hits about .300, with 30HR, and 120RBI. He was mailing it in with Boston because he wanted out. Now he is with a team that showed how much they wanted to bring him back by restructuring another player's deal. I also think that Joe Torre's presence as the manager will help keep Manny's ego in check.