Chipper Jones has been talking a lot about his future lately, and today he was blunt when talking to the AP:
"If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don't want to play the game. The game is not fun to me when I'm not playing up to my standards."
Jones does not blame his down year on injuries. It's only a disappointment by Chipper's standards, since his .390 OBP still ranks 14th in the NL. However, his .435 SLG would be a career-worst and he hasn't done much in August and September.
Jones, 38 in April, is owed $13MM in each of the 2010, '11, and '12 seasons. He has a $7MM club option for 2013 that can vest and increase with certain games played milestones. I have to admit, I liked the extension when it was signed in March. Today in his blog, Joel Sherman of the New York Post draws a parallel between Jones' extension and the upcoming Derek Jeter contract situation.
