http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../512070428/1129

 

Tigers reach agreement with Todd Jones

 

Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

 

 

The Tigerstoday reacheda tentative, two-year contract agreementwith ex-Tigers reliever Todd Jones as they broke through in their effort to add a veteran closer.

 

Jones, 37, had 40 saves for the Florida Marlins in 2005 and set a National League record with 23 consecutive saves during a three-month stretch from June 11-Sept. 13.

 

Jones pitched for the Tigers from 1997-2002 and had a record 42 saves for the Tigers in 2000. A formal announcement was expected late today or early Thursday as the Tigers continue trade talks and free-agent conversations aimed atboosting their pitching staff headed into 2006.

 

Jones will become the seasoned pitcher Detroit was seeking for a bullpen that otherwise would have featured 24-year-old Fernando Rodney as its closer. The Tigers had earlier failed in attempts to sign higher-profile closers when B.J. Ryan, Billy Wagner, Kyle Farnsworth, etc., jumped at long and expensive offers from other clubs.

 

Known as a popular clubhouseplayer -- during his days in Detroit, as well as with other clubs -- Jones should help neutralize tensions that became part of the Tigers' clubhouse culture in 2005.

 

Jones wassigned by Houston in 1989 and began his big-league with theAstros before joining Detroit in one of many big, Houston-Detroit trades that were noteworthy when Randy Smith was Tigers general manager.

 

Jones has played for six clubs since he last pitched for the Tigers in 2001: Minnesota, Colorado, Boston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Florida.

 

He left Detroit at the 2001 July trade deadline in a deal with the Twins for starting pitcher Mark Redman. Coincidentally, Redman was traded Wednesday to Kansas City for a minor-league player.

 

Jones in 2005 had a 1-5 record, a 2.10 earned-run average, and had excellent secondary numbers: 72 innings pitched, 61 hits, 14 walks, and 62 strikeouts.

Hopefully this time an aging closer works out better for them then the last one did (Troy Percival).

Good luck back in Detroit. We will miss you closing out games for the Train

So i guess it is back to set-up role for Jones....Cause doesn't Detroit have Rodney to close??? intresting signing wonder how much much the contract was for?

So i guess it is back to set-up role for Jones....Cause doesn't Detroit have Rodney to close??? intresting signing wonder how much much the contract was for?

 

I would think they would have Jones close for them.

so long todd and good luck

 

classy guy, i definately will miss him

So i guess it is back to set-up role for Jones....Cause doesn't Detroit have Rodney to close??? intresting signing wonder how much much the contract was for?

 

I would think they would have Jones close for them.

 

so then i guess Rodney will set up for Jones...could work and gives the kid a chance to get his feet wet

Damn. This means no first rounder.

Damn. This means no first rounder.

 

 

I believe we can still offer it to him, he just obviously won't accept.

 

Unless they somehow make it official before midnight

Damn. This means no first rounder.

 

 

I believe we can still offer it to him, he just obviously won't accept.

 

Unless they somehow make it official before midnight

 

 

 

Yeah, but the pick is top 15 and thus protected, so it stays with the Tigers

Damn. This means no first rounder.

 

 

I believe we can still offer it to him, he just obviously won't accept.

 

Unless they somehow make it official before midnight

 

 

 

Yeah, but the pick is top 15 and thus protected, so it stays with the Tigers

 

 

 

but still a sandwich, correct?

Good man; always gracious with the fans. I wish him well.

 

:ymca -- keep up the Jwnage!

Damn. This means no first rounder.

 

 

I believe we can still offer it to him, he just obviously won't accept.

 

Unless they somehow make it official before midnight

 

 

 

Yeah, but the pick is top 15 and thus protected, so it stays with the Tigers

 

 

 

but still a sandwich, correct?

 

 

 

Yeah between the first and second round I think, which is better than no pick but not as good as it could have been had Jones signed with the Braves

Good luck to TJ. He was fantastic out here.

 

Detroit sure likes to sign closers.

Happy for Todd. Hope he does well

I'll miss ya, Todd!

That sandwich will be one of the last supplementals, because I'm pretty sure Jones is one of the worst rated A players. I could be wrong, of course.

Good Luck JWNZ!

Better than nothing.

 

And at least he went somewhere where I can still enjoy watching him pitch, as opposed to Atlanta.

Sad to see him go, but the timing of his decision couldn't have been better...at least from the arbitration stand-point.

Good luck Todd

11 million reasons for Todd Jwnzs to go back to Detroit....good luck Todd and you will be missed in our bullpen

11 million reasons for Todd Jwnzs to go back to Detroit....good luck Todd and you will be missed in our bullpen

thats some money they threw him. hope it works out well!!

I'm happy with this signing. It's only 2 years, and I trust Todd more than I ever trusted the Percival signing. The $11 million isn't too bad considering what other relievers have gotten this offseason.

 

Plus Todd is one of my all-time favorite Tigers.