JaCoby Jones is a Tiger Again
By Scotty Nola
Former LSU Tiger Baseball player JaCoby Jones left the Tigers for good when he turned pro and was selected by the Pitssburgh Pirates in the 2013 MLB Draft. He is going to be a Tiger again after being traded to the Detroit Tigers in one of a flurry of deadline deals.
Pittsburgh is gearing up for a playoff run and needed an extra reliever.
Detroit, faced with disappointing seasons from several pitchers and injuries to stars Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera found themselves in the unusual position of deadline seller this year.
Mar 11, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop JaCoby Jones before the start of the spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski, one of the most respected executives in the game, is high on Jones.
“Jones is a quality young prospect,” Dombrowski said. “He was a third-round choice a couple years ago out of Louisiana State University. Just promoted to Double-A. Was one of the leading hitters in the Florida State League. It was a situation to get a real good middle infielder in our organization in exchange for Joakim, based on what we’ve been discussing.”
More from LSU Tigers
- LSU Football: We’ve been saying it all along, LSU deserves to be No. 1
- LSU Football: Betting guide for the SEC Championship vs. Georgia
- LSU Football: It’s outrageous if LSU isn’t ranked first after beating Georgia
- LSU Football: Who gets in the playoff if LSU beats Georgia?
- LSU Football: A loss to Georgia shouldn’t stop College Football Playoff bid
Jones is currently listed as a SS, which may be a problem. Detroit has Jose Iglesias locked in at short. The young infielder is a human highlight reel when healthy, a darling of ESPN’s web gems series and one of the best defensive players in baseball.
As LSU fans know Jones is very versatile, and that was part of the attraction on Detroit’s side. Detroit has been high on Jones for a long time. They scouted him at LSU and more recently in the Florida State League.
Top execs David Chadd and Dave Owen and former star Tigers SS Alan Trammell all scouted Jones recently and had high praise for the LSU product.
“They all liked him a great deal,” Dombrowski said. “(They) think he’s going to be an everyday player at the major-league level. He does add some athleticism, which is good. But he does have some sock in his bat.”
Considering Detroit’s string of playoff appearances and Dave Dombrowski’s reputation for getting the best in deals this it looks like JaCoby Jones has a very bright future in Motown.