Want to see the GM do the robot? Talk to O'Brien about Jimenez' departure

[CincyRedsFan30]

Cincy sends Jimenez packing

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | D'Angelo Jimenez is the first casualty in the Cincinnati Reds' so-far losing war against mediocrity.

Stressing that Jimenez is not the complete parcel when blame is passed around, general manager Dan O'Brien Friday designated for assignment the 27-year-old infielder.

Jimenez was signed last winter to a one-year $2.87 million contract, although some club insiders advised against it.

O'Brien, at the request of manager Dave Miley, in effect admitted the mistake and granted his manager his wish to rid the roster of the pouty, non-hustling Jimenez. And it could cost the club close to $2 million.

The team has 10 days to trade Jimenez, an unlikely scenario. The club could put him on waivers and another team could claim him, Jimenez could declare free agency or he could accept an assignment to the Reds minor-league system.

Unless the Reds trade him, they are on the hook to pay him nearly $2 million.

And O'Brien indicated more moves are not only possible, but likely.

Jimenez incurred the wrath of Miley Wednesday in New York during a 10-6 loss to the Mets. First, he made two errors, one on which he tried to throw out a runner from his knees when he had time to scramble to his feet and make the throw.

The throw across his body from his knees was 8 feet wide of first baseman Sean Casey and a run scored.

More glaring, though, was when he tried to score from second base on a short single to left field by pitcher Eric Milton. The throw beat him and he didn't slide, running stand-up into the tag.

Jimenez, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in July, 2003, was in a fight with teammate Ryan Freel last year during a season-ending team party in Milwaukee, and was not a popular figure in the clubhouse.

O'Brien was enamored with him because he led the National League in most pitches seen per at-bat, but also had a penchant for taking called third strikes after which he glared at or argued with the umpires nearly every time.

"Dave Miley and I visited regarding this move and he made a recommendation that this move be made," said O'Brien. "We support it and we're moving forward."

The move forward remains to be seen, but it is a corrective step. Several players suggested the move amongst themselves as long as two weeks ago.

"It's all about performance and it wasn't happening," O'Brien said of Jimenez's .229 average, 0 homers, 5 RBIs and 23 strikeouts in 105 at-bats.

"It is important to point out that the performance of the team does not rest on D'Angelo Jimenez's shoulders, but we have to make changes and we have to do things to try to get better," O'Brien said.

Other changes? Stay tuned?

"Stay tuned is an apropos line," said O'Brien. "This was a potentially significant financial decision. Not to say that finances aren't always, or should be, a consideration. We're trying to get better.

"If we have to make difficult decisions, we're prepared to do it," he said. "On the pitching front, there are a lot of factors because we have a number of pitchers on the disabled list (Ben Weber, Luke Hudson, Josh Hancock, J.K. Bong), so the picture isn't as clear there as it was on the position players."

"After what happened Wednesday, well, obviously performance and some other things were factors," Miley said of the Jimenez decision. "Basically, D'Angelo wasn't bringing it. I made the recommendation that we had to make a move and Dan was fully supportive."

To replace Jimenez, the Reds purchased the contract of Luis Lopez from Class AAA Louisville, where he was hitting .264. The 34-year-old infielder played 23 games at shortstop and two games at second base.

He has played 704 major-league games for San Diego, the New York Mets, Milwaukee and Baltimore.

[missionhockey21]

O'Brien, at the request of manager Dave Miley, in effect admitted the mistake and granted his manager his wish to rid the roster of the pouty, non-hustling Jimenez. And it could cost the club close to $2 million.
The way this team wastes money. I do admit I was in favor of getting DJ back since I thought he would produce (as he has shown in May) but I am not in the Clubhouse. And from what this sounds like, him not producing and us having a glut at the position is making it easy to let him go due to being a clubhouse cancer. Yeah the production plays a part of it but it sounds like this is due to his attitude and the way he acts. We do know he has had similar problems with other teams (heck, even with this one) but it's never really been played up. If that is the case, then why resign him Dan O? Why not sign a better starter? Or hell, here is a crazy thought, use that money to add on to the draft budget.

"It's all about performance and it wasn't happening," O'Brien said of Jimenez's .229 average, 0 homers, 5 RBIs and 23 strikeouts in 105 at-bats.
But since O'Brien is claiming performance is the key to this move (which I am not really buying since he was starting to hit) I am hoping one of those other moves will be a release of our good friend Rich Aurilia.

[CincyRedsFan30]

You hit the nail on the head mission.

Why didn't O'Brien listen to what Miley said during ST, which was that he wanted Freel to be the leadoff hitter?

Aurilia better be one of those other moves that he says is about ready to happen. He needs to be dumped, a couple of relievers need to be exchanged for others and frankly, although it's unlikely, a couple of our starters(Wilson/Milton) shouldn't be starting.

[missionhockey21]

I also found it interesting that Miley mentioned how he suggested the move and Dan O followed, he must of felt it neccessary to show that he isnt Dan O's puppet like some on the radio have suggested.

As for Milton/Wilson... we're stuck I am affraid. If Wilson continues to stink, best I see is us releasing him sometime next year, but he would have to bomb Jimmy Haynes style (like he is.) Milton, the twenty five million dollar mistake. I really wanted to find the bright side in that move but that optimism is shot. It's kind of funny, I don't think no one suggested signing Milton here and his name was practically never mentioned IIRC. I think for most of us, we wanted either: Matt Clement, Odalis Perez or Kevin Millwood. At least Clement and Perez. Goes to show you how inlined the front office is with the fans.

[CincyRedsFan30]

You're right about Milson/Wilson(us being stuck with them).

Also, I agree about the pitchers you mention. Although I tried to get excited about signing Milton, just because he had been better than players like Acevedo that we threw out there last year, none of us EVER mentioned him before the move actually happened. We wanted the pitchers you mentioned.

I really think O'Brien judges pitchers only on W-L records, which just further illustrates how clueless he really is.

[missionhockey21]

I really think O'Brien judges pitchers only on W-L records, which just further illustrates how clueless he really is.

I have feared that for quite some time. I have alluded to it in the past, but I just can't bring myself to admit we have essentially an amateur in a professional's job. I don't know if it is so much the stat itself or what thought it entails, that the particular player "knows" how to win. I was really hoping he just saw something in Milton that I didn't and knew he was to break out. But as evident by this and the early impressions of his first draft (although I like Homer) it shows his player evaluation skills is quite weak.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I hate to say this, but Bowden is starting to look like a genius compared to that guy, lol.

Anyway, I think he is very much like an amateur. How can he not get that W-L records are TEAM dependent? He can win 15 games a year by pitching just 5 IP in those 15 games and giving up 3 or 4 runs if he has an offense that will often score at least 5 or 6 per game. Just incredible that he thinks the way he does, and not in a good way.

[redsrbetter]

Hopefully DanO learns his lesson through all this. I think it is very good that Miley made the call here. Shows me that he may never have liked to start DJ over Freel in the first place. Can it be looked at that it was DanO's doing now? Just because Jiminez was resigned, that he should start? This is how I am seeing it. Miley saw DJ's woes and still started him although he had not been effective at the plate or on the field. But he continued to be the guy to start until recently. I really do not think I trust DanO at all anymore. None whatsoever. He says more moves are to follow? We'll see about that. Unless, of course, he is talking about bringing Aurilia/Weber/Pena off the DL. Those will be his other moves, just watch. I don't trust anything this man says right now.

[Fishercat]

[QUOTE=CincyRedsFan30]
Why didn't O'Brien listen to what Miley said during ST, which was that he wanted Freel to be the leadoff hitter?
[QUOTE]

How was that O'Brien's decision? If Miley wants to start Freel, then he should start Freel. If he is forced into benching Freel, then don't take claim to getting Jimenez released (speaking of Miley).

[CincyRedsFan30]

Miley wanted Freel to leadoff. He said it during ST. Something changed between when he said it and the season actually started. I don't think Miley changed without being talked to by O'Brien. He might not have "forced" him to use Freel off the bench, but he must have clearly indicated that he didn't want Freel to leadoff. I don't think Miley would have went against the wishes of his boss.

[Fishercat]

I just don't get why Miley would first lay down for O'Brien, but then O'Brien would essentially lay down for Miley.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Because Jimenez' issues (not just on the fiel) apparently got worse as this season progressed, and Miley recommended to O'Brien that he be dropped, and apparently O'Brien agreed with him.

[Wally Mo Pena]

I think the move was a good one if jiminez was bad for the clubhouse, i don't want guys who are loafing to be on the team, and he always had the reputation for being lazy. But is anyone going to ask miley about the leadoff hitting thing? Last year jiminez hit .200 leadoff and .300 (on average) everywhere else. Several of us pointed this out in the spring, saying that if you are going to sign a guy for 3 mil, you should know where to play him.

So this year, he struggled big time, but was it all his fault? As a leadoff hitter he hit:
.145/.254/.145, which is terrible, clearly. but when he didn't hit leadoff he hit:
.320/.393/.460, which is pretty good for a second baseman. It's not all that much power, but he was getting on and getting some doubles.

In a way i feel bad for him, as i' sure he never wanted to lead off. And when they used him right, he did perform. It's all about performance DanO? When does that get to miley for not performing as manager.

[redsrbetter]

Good point Wally. Another thing for me though is that if Miley was going to continue to play DJ at 2B and neglect Freel from PT, something was going to have to be done. He had an attitude and we have a far better option? Then go with it. Only other option was to fire Miley, which I would fully support as well.

[Wally Mo Pena]

like i said, if they made the move because of his attitude, i support it, i don't like guys who cause trouble, i just didn't know that he did. but if they are saying that it was performance base, i don't think that that is totally fair. He showed last year that he couldn't hit leadoff, if miley wanted to play him he should have known that. What about:

Felo
Randa
Dunn
Kearns
Griffey
Jiminez
Casey
Larue

If that lineup had been used from the beginning fo the year, i guarantee that Jiminez is still on the team and producing. That to me says the performance problem was Miley's not Jiminez's.