QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 21, 2010 -> 02:54 PM)
Because...even if his issue the last couple years was not being 100% healthy...he hasn't put up an .800 OPS since 2004, and has only done so 3 times in 13 career seasons. For a DH, that's just ugh. Now, you might fire back "But he's useful as a rolling DH as well and can play the OF, and an .800 OPS for a CF isn't that bad". Except, he's also been bad in CF since 2004 also. He might or might not be an average RF (he hasn't spent enough time there to judge), but his numbers argue he's basically a backup and should be treated as such.
If he's getting only garbage time innings or playing every 3rd day to give someone a day off, ok, no one should have any reason to complain. Those are quality numbers for a backup 1b and backup corner OF. If he's getting 400-500 PA's, seeing time at DH, seeing time in the OF, like we keep being told he will, he never was a good enough player to justify that unless he was playing good defense, and he hasn't done that in 6+ years either.
Hopefully Jones will become a full time DH/OF and Kotsay will be occasional backup at OF/1B/DH and everyone will be happy.