Free-agent outfielder Andruw Jones agreed to a two-year, $36.2 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers yesterday, the AP reports. The 10-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star hit .222 last season but is being counted on to give Los Angeles a reliable slugger in the middle of the lineup and an upgrade defensively in centerfield.
The move gives Jones, 30, the fifth-highest salary in baseball and could allow the Dodgers to trade from a surplus of outfielders—perhaps for a starting pitcher like Baltimore's Erik Bedard or Oakland's Dan Haren. Jones' agent, Scott Boras, had expected the centerfielder to command a five-year, $100 million contract, but last season's downturn scared teams off. (More Los Angeles Dodgers stories.)