DeJesus fits Epstein’s mold
David DeJesus made it quite simple when asked what kind of baseball player he is.
“A guy that’s going to be reliable,” he said. “I want to be a reliable player that when my name is on the lineup sheet, he’s going to come and play his best out there and give it 100 percent. That’s the way I’ve been known to play since Rutgers, since back in the day when my dad taught me just being accountable for your actions. That’s the way I want to be.”
DeJesus made his Wrigley Field debut Thursday when he met the media one day after signing a two-year contract with the Cubs.
He went from home to the ballpark, as he and his family reside in Wheaton.
It’ll be a nice commute for DeJesus, who gets a guaranteed $10 million over two years plus a club option for 2014 that could bring the deal to $15 million.
“It’s one of the most storied franchises in baseball,” said DeJesus, who played last season for Oakland after a long run in Kansas City. “The opportunity of me coming here to help out the team is just one of those opportunities you can’t beat, you can’t pass up.
“Living in the suburbs of Chicago is one of those positions that in baseball, you don’t get the chance to live at home and then play in your hometown. I definitely wanted to take advantage of that.”
DeJesus had thumb surgery that ended his 2010 season in late July of that year. This season with the A’s, he had a hitting line of .240/.323/.376 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI.
“It was a tough year, but I learned a lot,” he said. “That’s not the player I am. I know that. I felt (pain in) my finger a couple of times. Now, I’m 100 percent, working hard in the off-season to fix the things that I feel that I didn’t do as well.”
DeJesus will play right field. He also may lead off. Whatever, he seems to be the type of player valued by the new regime, headed by baseball president Theo Epstein.
“He’s someone that if you watch him play, you’re going to admire him as a player because he goes about it the right way,” Epstein said. “He’s really well-rounded. I tend to like those types of players.
“I like the players whose contribution is consistent across the board to help you defensively, swing the bat with good consistent at-bats, run the bases well. The totality of their contribution can be equal to or more than the player who does one thing extremely well if the guy is going to go out and hit 30 home runs but really hurts you in other areas. If we have club full of well-rounded players, we’re going to far exceed the expectations because those solid contributions really add up.”
Rumorville:Theo Epstein reiterated that he will not comment on rumors the Cubs have interest in mega free agents Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, both of whom play first base. #147;I don#146;t think we can pay too much attention to rumors,#148; Epstein said. #147;There#146;s always going to be things said about the Cubs because we#146;re a big-market club and there#146;s a lot of interest. We#146;re thrilled about that. It#146;s a reflection of the passion of the fans and the passion of you guys in our marketplace.#148;He then reminded reporters of something he said when he got to town in October. #147;I still think we#146;re going to build this around young players,#148; he said. #147;Free agency should never be the primary area that you rely upon to build your club. If you set out to build a foundation based on free agency, you#146;ve got a tough road ahead of you.#147;No. 1 is to build this thing the right way, for the long haul, mainly through scouting and development, through the acquisition of young players. The second part is try to take advantage of every opportunity to win with what you have, and that#146;s the short term for us. It means building the 2012 club, hopefully in a smart way, to maximize our chances of winning.#147;But we#146;re not going to do anything to serve the second priority that disrupts the first. If there#146;s a move that makes us much better in the short term but it#146;s at the expense of doing things the right way, of building for the long haul through a core of young players, we#146;re not going to make that type of move.#148;Talking pitching:There#146;s no doubt the Cubs need pitching, something Theo Epstein acknowledged Thursday. He said that starter Matt Garza is #147;exactly the type of guy that we like to build around,#148; perhaps throwing cold water on trade rumors. Epstein also indicated lefty Sean Marshall will remain in the bullpen. #147;I think he might be the most valuable left-handed reliever in all of baseball,#148; Epstein said. #147;He#146;s able to get both sides of the plate out. It#146;s tough to consider taking him out of that role. It#146;s a credit to him that he#146;s so good that you don#146;t even want to have that discussion. If you have the best left-handed reliever in baseball, it#146;s hard to think about changing that role.#148;Epstein added that wayward starter Carlos Zambrano is still #147;healing#148; in Venezuela after taking a line drive off his face in winter ball and that Zambrano may need a couple of side sessions before he takes the mound again.