“I am grateful for the Orioles relationships I have formed since my retirement, which have led us to this exciting partnership,” Jones said in a statement within today’s press release. “Having the opportunity to be around the game that I love, while also learning the operations side of baseball from one of the best general managers is truly an honor. I am happy to be a resource for the Orioles organization and will offer everything I’ve learned from past experience to help the team succeed. Baltimore has always meant so much to me, and this unique role will allow me to continue giving back to the community I love. This is a special opportunity and I’m eager to embrace it fully.”

Jones, 39, spent 11 seasons in an Orioles uniform after coming to Baltimore in a lopsided trade that shipped lefty Erik Bedard to Seattle. The former top-50 draft choice and top prospect wasted little time establishing himself in the Orioles’ lineup and quickly cemented himself as one of the most popular and productive players of an entire generation of Orioles baseball.

From 2008-18, Jones batted .279/.319/.459 with 263 home runs, 305 doubles, 27 triples and 90 stolen bases as the Orioles’ everyday center fielder. The 2012-14 seasons marked a personal peak for Jones and a rebirth for Orioles baseball, which Jones helped to fuel. Jones slashed a combined .284/.321/.489 and made three straight All-Star teams in that time, missing only three total games over that stretch of three seasons. He garnered MVP votes in each of the three seasons.

Simultaneously, the Orioles shook off four straight last-place finishes to surge into perennial postseason contention. The 2012 O’s won 93 games, finished second in the AL East and made a run to that year’s ALCS. The O’s had a winning record in ’13 but fell shy of the playoffs before winning the division with a 96-win season in 2014. As they did in 2012, Baltimore advanced to the ALCS. The 2016 Orioles returned to the playoffs yet again, with the ultra-durable Jones again playing a key role. From 2012-16, no American League team won more games than the Orioles, and Jones was arguably the face of the club along the way.

Jones finished out his playing career with a 2019 stint in Arizona and a 2020-21 run with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes over in Japan. He’ll now return to his longtime MLB home in a new role that continues to build his legacy with the organization.

“Adam was a tremendous representative of the Orioles on and off the field while he was a player,” Elias said within today’s press release. “We are excited to formally welcome him back to our team, and we look forward to utilizing his experience, expertise, and perspective to help the franchise achieve sustained excellence.”

Jones, now 38, was selected by the Mariners with the 37th overall pick in the 2003 draft. He was initially used as a shortstop but moved to the outfield as a minor leaguer. He became a top 100 prospect and was able to get some brief major league time with the Mariners in 2006 and 2007, getting into 73 games over those two seasons. He didn’t quite establish himself at the big league level immediately, hitting .230/.267/.353 in that time.

Prior to the 2008 season, Jones was one of five players that the Mariners sent to the Orioles in the Erik Bedard trade, a move that would prove to be career-defining for Jones. The O’s were in a rough period at that time and were able to give Jones some regular playing time. He got into 132 games in 2008, hitting .270/.311/.400. That translated to a subpar wRC+ of 84, but he stole 10 bases and provided above-average center field defense, leading to a tally of 1.5 wins above replacement from FanGraphs.

2009 would be a breakout year for Jones, as he hit 19 home runs, more than doubling the nine he hit in the prior season. He hit .277/.335/.457 for a wRC+ of 103, getting selected to the All-Star team and winning a Gold Glove award in the process. Despite being limited to 119 games by an ankle sprain, he still matched his 1.5 fWAR tally from the year before.

He would become a staple of the outfield in Baltimore for years to come, continuing to produce in that all-around fashion with above-average offense, defense and speed. In May of 2012, he and the club agreed to a six-year, $85.5MM extension that ran through 2018, the largest contract in franchise history at that time.

That led to Jones playing 11 seasons with the Orioles from 2008 to 2018. He was remarkably consistent and reliable in that time, never playing less than 137 games in a season after the aforementioned 119 games in 2009. He played 1,613 games overall as an Oriole, hitting 263 home runs and stealing 90 bases. His .279/.319/.459 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 108 and he was worth 29.3 fWAR over those seasons.

With Jones in the outfield, the Orioles were able to emerge from a long period of mediocrity and become a perennial contender. After losing seasons in each campaign from 1998 to 2011, they went on to finish .500 or better five years in a row from 2012 to 2016. They made the playoffs three of those years, won the AL East division title in 2014 and made it to the ALCS that year.

But by the time his contract expired at the end of 2018, the O’s were back in a rebuilding period, one that they have just recently emerged from. Jones signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Diamondbacks for 2019 but his offense and defense declined to subpar levels. He then signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He hit .250/.334/.390 in 159 games over those two years.

Although Jones didn’t begin his career with the Orioles, the largest and best part of his career was spent in Baltimore. He didn’t finish his playing time with the Orioles either but will now ceremonially conclude his career with the O’s in a few weeks, officially closing the books on his time as a player. Overall, he got into 1,823 major league games and tallied 1,939 hits, including 336 doubles, 29 triples and 282 home runs. He scored 963 runs, drove in 945 and stole 97 bases, made five All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves. He also represented Team USA internationally, playing in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic tournaments. The latter of those two saw him make arguably the most famous catch in WBC history, robbing his Oriole teammate Manny Machado, who was representing the Dominican Republic.

We at MLB Trade Rumors salute Jones on a fine career and wish him the best in all his post-playing endeavors.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Teams have been ordered based on 2019 records:

Saitama Seibu Lions (80-62-1):

• Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP: You read that right. Dice-K is still chugging along. The now-39-year-old veteran pitched just 5 1/3 innings for the Chunichi Dragons last year due to a shoulder injury that, according to the Japan Times, was caused by an excited fan grabbing/yanking his arm (seriously). Matsuzaka was NPB’s comeback player of the year in 2018 and is returning to the Lions, his original club, for the first time since 2006.
• Cory Spangenberg, INF/OF: Primarily an infielder during his big league career, Spangenberg is listed as an outfielder by the Lions. The former No. 10 overall pick (Padres, 2011) hit .256/.318/.389 in six MLB campaigns before signing with the Lions back in December. He’ll make his NPB debut once play begins.
• Sean Nolin, LHP: Signed the same day as Spangenberg, the 30-year-old Nolin is also slated for his NPB debut. A once highly touted pitching prospect, he’s perhaps best known for being part of the Athletics’ disappointing return for Josh Donaldson. Nolin has a 6.89 ERA in 31 1/3 innings, a 3.61 mark in 231 2/3 Triple-A frames and a long injury history. Japan could be a fresh start for the lefty.
• Zach Neal, RHP: The 31-year-old Neal has a 4.94 ERA in 85 2/3 big league frames — one as a Dodger and the rest with the A’s. He logged 100 innings with the Lions last year and turned in a shiny 2.87 ERA, which his camp hoped would lead to MLB interest. Neal’s 4.6 K/9 in NPB didn’t turn many head, though, and whatever offers he received from MLB teams didn’t top the two-year, $4MM deal he signed to return to the Lions. He’ll be in NPB through the 2021 season, at the least.
• Reed Garrett, RHP: The longtime Rangers farmhand was the Tigers’ Rule 5 pick in the 2018-19 offseason. He tossed 15 1/3 shaky innings before being returned to the Texas org. The 27-year-old will hope to follow similar paths to those of Chris Martin, Joely Rodriguez and other relievers who’ve thrived overseas and returned to MLB on multi-year deals.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (76-62-5):

• Tsuyoshi Wada, LHP: Wada, 39, signed with the Orioles back in 2011 but never pitched there due to injury. He latched on with the Cubs for the 2014-15 seasons, though, and tossed 101 2/3 innings of 3.36 ERA ball before returning to Japan. He was excellent in his 2016 return but has battled injuries since. He logged a 3.90 ERA in 57 2/3 frames when healthy last year.
• Matt Moore, LHP: Moore surprised quite a few people by signing in Japan this winter, but the $3.5MM guarantee and $2.5MM worth of incentives he secured may well have been more than a team would’ve paid him coming off a season lost to knee surgery. Heralded as a potential ace at his prospect peak, Moore impressed with the Rays from 2011-13 but never fully regained his form after 2014 Tommy John surgery.
• Rick van den Hurk, RHP: Now 35 years old, Van Den Hurk hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2012. That’s due largely to his emergence as a high-end starter in the KBO from 2012-13, and the success he enjoyed there led him to his current starring role with the Hawks. Over the past four years, the Dutch righty has a 3.50 ERA and nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings through 483 frames.
• Dennis Sarfate, RHP: It’s been more than a decade since Sarfate last pitched in the big leagues, but the righty hasn’t felt any inclination to return. He’s one of the all-time great relievers in NPB, having pitched to an immaculate 1.57 ERA with 234 saves, 11.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 since arriving in 2011. Not bad for a former ninth-rounder with a 4.53 ERA in 119 MLB innings!
• Wladimir Balentien, OF: Yes — the Hawks’ roster is a veritable who’s who of obscure, 2009-era big leaguers. Balentien last saw MLB action in ’09, and like Sarfate, he’s become a star in Asia. Balentien spent nine years mashing for the Yakult Swallows, as evidenced by a .273/.378/.558 slash and a whopping 288 home runs to date in NPB. The Hawks shelled out a two-year, $10MM deal — considerable money in Japan — to sign the 35-year-old.
• Alfredo Despaigne, OF and Carter Stewart. RHP*: Neither player has ever appeared in MLB, but both are known names. Despaigne is one of the most prolific sluggers in the history of the Cuban National Series, and the 33-year-old has continued to rake in Japan. Stewart was a first-round pick who opted not to sign with the Braves in 2018 after concerns arose in his physical. He instead signed a six-year, $6.2MM deal to head to Japan. He spent last year in the Hawks’ developmental/minor league but could make his NPB debut in 2020.

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (71-68-4):

• Kazuhisa Makita, RHP: The submariner’s two-year deal with the Padres didn’t pan out as hoped, and Makita is back in NPB for the 2020 season. He previously starred for the Lions, logging a 2.83 ERA in seven seasons of relief work, and could have another few good years in his NPB career at age 35.
• JT Chargois, RHP: A second-round pick by the Twins in 2012, Chargois dealt with injuries and never solidified himself either in Minnesota or with the Dodgers. He’s been lights out in his minor league career (1.90 ERA in Triple-A) but hasn’t come close to that in the Majors (4.58 in 76 2/3 innings). The 29-year-old will make his NPB debut in 2020.
• Alan Busenitz, RHP: Another former Twins reliever, Busenitz gave Minnesota 31 2/3 frames of 1.99 ERA ball as a rookie but posted some troubling peripheral marks. He indeed regressed the following season, when he was hammered for an ERA and FIP north of 7.00. Busenitz dominated for the Eagles last year, though, recording a 1.69 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9. He’s still only 29, so perhaps an eventual MLB return can’t be ruled out.
• Zelous Wheeler, INF: Wheeler had a quick cup of coffee with the 2014 Yankees and left for Japan the next year. He’s hit .262/.339/.459 in five seasons with the Eagles. He’s coming off a bit of a down year, having batted .243/.320/.418 last year.
• Jabari Blash, OF: Known for his light-tower power in the U.S., Blash never found his footing in the big leagues but looks like a potential star in Japan. He bashed 33 homers last year while hitting .261/.397/.540 in his NPB debut with the Eagles. He signed a one-year deal to return to them this past winter, but perhaps he’ll eventually consider an MLB return.
• Stefen Romero, OF: The former Mariner, 31, hit a combined .268/.332/.494 with the Orix Buffaloes from 2017-19 before signing with the Eagles this offseason. If he continues to produce in NPB, there’s a chance that Romero, like Blash, could stage a big league comeback.

Chiba Lotte Marines (69-70-4):

• Leonys Martin, OF: Among the most recognizable players on this list, the 32-year-old Martin hit .244/.301/.367 in nearly 2800 plate appearances spread across five teams. He joined NPB midway through the 2019 season, hitting .232/.342/.495 for the Marines. He re-upped in December and will spend his first full season in Japan this year.
• Frank Herrmann, RHP: A former Indians and Phillies hurler, the soon-to-be 36-year-old Herrmann has spent three seasons with the Eagles. He’s emerged as a key member of the bullpen, notching a tidy 2.59 ERA with better than a strikeout per inning in 145 2/3 frames. Herrmann also picked up 18 saves in 2018.
• Jay Jackson, RHP: Jackson, 32, starred for the Hiroshima Carp from 2016-18 before making a big league comeback with the Brewers in 2019. He tossed 30 2/3 frames and logged a 4.45 ERA with the Brewers last year, but is on his way back to NPB — presumably for a solid payday given his prior excellence there (176 innings, 2.10 ERA, 9.8 K/9, 3.5 BB/9).
• Brandon Laird, INF: Laird, 32, made the jump to Japan in 2015 and hasn’t looked back. His on-base numbers aren’t much to look at, but he’s a consistent power threat who spent four years with the Fighters and is entering his second with the Marines. In 2781 plate appearances in NPB, Laird has batted .241/.314/.480 with 163 long balls.

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (65-73-5):

• Nick Martinez, RHP: Things never really clicked for Martinez in four years with the Rangers’ big league club. He turned in a 3.51 ERA in 161 2/3 frames with the Fighters in his NPB debut in 2018, though, and returned on a $2.2MM deal for 2019. Injuries limited him to four innings last year, and the 29-year-old Martinez will again suit up for the Fighters on a one-year pact in 2020.
• Drew VerHagen, RHP: The big 6’6″ righty spent parts of six seasons with the Tigers and was with Detroit up through last season. VerHagen, 29, has a 5.11 ERA in 199 MLB innings but will look for better results overseas.
• Christian Villanueva, INF: Last year’s debut campaign didn’t go as Villanueva or his team, the Yomiuri Giants, hoped. The 28-year-old former Cubs prospect hit just .223/.325/.386 in 73 games. The league still had some faith, though, as Villanueva signed a new deal with the Fighters this winter. He does have a career .263/.328/.457 slash in Triple-A, so perhaps a second go-around in NPB will be more fruitful.
• Bryan Rodriguez, RHP and Po-Jung Wang, OF*: Neither has played in the Majors, but Rodriguez came into his own in Japan last year. The former Padres prospect posted a 3.25 ERA in 91 innings of relief — albeit with a lackluster 5.4 K/9 mark. Wang, meanwhile, was one of the best hitters in Tawain’s CPBL before inking a three-year, $3.554MM deal with the Fighters last year. The first year was a flop (.647 OPS), but if the 26-year-old can tap into his CPBL form (.386/.455/.646), he might be a name for MLB clubs to monitor.

Orix Buffaloes (61-75-7):

• Adam Jones, OF: Jones shocked baseball fans when he took a two-year, $8MM deal to join the Buffaloes last December. The 34-year-old is easily the most decorated big leaguer on this list, but he found last year’s trip through free agency rather disappointing, landing only a one-year, $3MM deal with the D-backs. Perhaps not wanting to languish for another season as MLB clubs viewed him as a part-time player, Jones took a nice payday overseas and will bring some legitimate star power to the last-place Buffaloes.
• Andrew Albers, LHP: Albers, 34, had a solid big league run from 2013-17, posting a 4.10 ERA in 120 MLB frames. He was outstanding with Orix in 2018 (3.08 ERA in 114 innings), which he parlayed into a two-year, $4.5MM extension. Year one of that deal didn’t go well (5.83 ERA in 63 innings), but he’ll look to bounce back in year two.
• Brandon Dickson, RHP: Dickson pitched 14 2/3 innings with the 2011-12 Cardinals but left  for the Buffaloes in 2013. He’s become a staple on the pitching staff, logging a combined 3.32 ERA through 856 2/3 innings as a Buffalo.
• Steven Moya, OF: Once one of the Tigers’ best prospects, Moya had a nice debut with the Chunichi Dragons in 2018 (.301/.347/.441) but struggled with both the Dragons and the Buffaloes in 2019. Still just 28 years old, he’ll hope to bounce back in his third season overseas.

I won’t bury the lede any further: The answer is Mark Grace. Grace never hit 20 home runs in a season despite being a middle-of-the-order bat, and he spent most of his career on lackluster Cubs teams. He was a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner who never finished higher than thirteenth in MVP voting. He was a very good baseball player. But I think it’s safe to say that he’s not the first name that comes to mind when looking for the decade-leader in hits. 

Growing up, Grace was my favorite player, but that’s only part of why I loved this trivia question. In my mind, Grace epitomized something special about the game. He played smart and with obvious boyhood joy. He could hit .300 falling asleep, and though he wasn’t known for his power, he held his own – in his words – by “turning triples into doubles” (he also led the nineties in doubles). #17 wasn’t a superstar to the world (he didn’t hit home runs, he didn’t run well, and he played for the lovable loser version of the Cubs), but Grace made the most of his physical abilities and let his personality shine through. And ah yes, he had more hits in the nineties than Tony Gwynn, Robby Alomar, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa, Cal Ripken Jr.…or anyone else.

That he accomplished this feat speaks to the randomness and the breadth of the game of baseball. Only a player who played in every season of the decade is likely to lead all major leaguers in hits (see the exception to this rule later). And yet, what a tremendous accomplishment! The juxtaposition of those two thoughts encapsulates so much of what makes baseball unique. Timing is a huge factor in determining what becomes part of the baseball zeitgeist, and yet, there’s an ocean of information beneath the surface of any given statistical achievement. 

Not to date myself, but there’s been two full decades since Grace led the nineties in hits! Granted, hits are no longer the be all and end all of offensive production. Not anywhere close. But they’re still important. Leading the league in hits over a decade is more trivia than player analysis, but it’s still an accomplishment that shines a light on a particular style of hitter. So without further ado, I thought it would be a fun exercise to see who wins the Mark Grace Award for leading a decade in hits.

2010-2019

1. Robinson Cano (1,695)
2. Nick Markakis (1,651)
3. Adam Jones (1,647)
4. Starlin Castro (1,617)
5. Miguel Cabrera (1,595)
6. Elvis Andrus (1,595)

Kicking it off, this is not the list I expected for our most recent decade. Cano taking the title is impressive, if not surprising for the career .302 hitter, because he only appeared in 107 games this last season and only 80 games the year before that. Taking the crown regardless speaks to how difficult it is in this day and age to stay in the game. Kudos to the the rest of the list as well, which provides a real working class crew (Miggy aside). Cano is also, for what it’s worth, the least productive hits king in any decade since the war-torn forties when the Indians’ Lou Boudreau took home the title with 1,578 hits.

2000-2009

1. Ichiro Suzuki (2,030)
2. Derek Jeter (1,940)
3. Miguel Tejada (1,860)
4. Todd Helton (1,756)
5. Vladimir Guerrero (1,751)

Tejada is the only name on this list that might take more than a couple of guesses. Of course, the most impressive feat here is that Ichiro managed to chalk up more than 2,000 hits in only 9 seasons.

1990-1999

1. Mark Grace (1,754)
2. Rafael Palmiero (1,747)
3. Craig Biggio (1,728)
4. Tony Gwynn (1,713)
5. Roberto Alomar (1,678)

Biggio or Gwynn probably would have been my guess had I not known the answer beforehand. Biggio led the league in plate appearances in 5 seasons (’92, ’95, ’97,’98,’99), but he hit “only” .297 for the decade (versus .310 for Grace). Gwynn hit .344 in the nineties, but only managed to appear in more than 140 games twice.

1980-1989

1. Robin Yount (1,731)
2. Eddie Murray (1,642)
3. Willie Wilson (1,639)
4. Wade Boggs (1,597)
5. Dale Murphy (1,553)

Willie Wilson gave himself a good head start with 230 hits in 1980, but Yount and Murray managed to make up the difference before the end of the eighties. The Royals’ great did crush the competition for most triples in the decade, however, with 115 (Yount was second with 83).

1970-1979 

1. Pete Rose (2,045)
2. Rod Carew (1,787)
3. Al Oliver (1,686)
4. Lou Brock (1,617)
5. Bobby Bonds (1,565)

No surprises here, with Rose and Carew atop the list.

1960-1969

1. Roberto Clemente (1,877)
2. Hank Aaron (1,819)
3. Vada Pinson (1,776)
4. Maury Wills (1,744)
5. Brooks Robinson (1,692)

For the decade, Clemente hit .328/.375/.501. He took the batting crown four times and hit over .350 twice (1961: .351 BA, 1967: .357 BA).

1950-1959

1. Richie Ashburn (1,875)
2. Nellie Fox (1,837)
3. Stan Musial (1,771)
4. Alvin Dark (1,675)
5. Duke Snider (1,605)

Integration wasn’t exactly a comprehensive process from the jump when Jackie Robinson first appeared for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, so we’ll make the fifties the last decade. All in all, Pete Rose unsurprisingly was the most prolific hits leader in any decade with 2,045 knocks in the 70s, but I’m not sure there’s a more impressive name on there than Ichiro, whose wizardy with the bat came up just 15 hits shy of Rose in just 9 seasons from 2001 to 2010.

Otherwise, definitely some names you might have expected (Rose, Young, Clemente), but it’s not as if a 3,000 hit king rules every decade. Ashburn, like Grace, hit the league at the perfect time to snag this award, as his career spanned from 1948 to 1962. He joins Grace and Cano as the non-3000 hit players to lead a decade in hits (though Cano still has an outside shot to get there). For their careers, Grace takes the distinction as the player with the least career hits to lead a decade in the category.

Who else on these list surprises you? Al Dark? Elvis Andrus? Who did you expect? Let’s hear your takes in the comments!

The fact that Jones is heading to Japan now means he’ll avoid a protracted stay on the open market. As a free agent last offseason, the 34-year-old Jones was a victim of a league that has become more and more averse to signing aging players to guaranteed contracts. Jones went without a deal for several months, finally inking a $3MM pact with the Diamondbacks.

Even though Jones jumped out to a great start in Arizona, his numbers and his playing time declined as the year progressed. He wound up turning in a .260/.313/.414 line (good for a below-average wRC+ of 87) with 16 home runs in 528 plate appearances. In the field, the former defensive standout earned negative marks for the fourth straight year (minus-4 DRS, minus-2.2 UZR).

Despite his subpar numbers, Jones’ lauded leadership skills were surely valued in Arizona. Major league teams could have considered signing him to act as a mentor to their younger players in 2020. However, he would have had to settle for either a low-paying big league contract or a minors agreement. As a result, Jones made the decision to head to Nippon Professional Baseball for a much larger payday.

If this is the last we’ve seen of Jones in the majors, he’ll be remembered as a standout with the Orioles for a significant portion of his career. Jones was the 37th overall pick of the Mariners in 2003, but they ultimately traded him to the Orioles in 2008 in a swap that blew up in Seattle’s face and couldn’t have worked out much better for Baltimore. Jones debuted as an Oriole in 2008, the beginning of an eminently successful 11-season run in which the former center fielder batted .279/.319/.459 with 263 home runs, 90 steals and 29.5 fWAR, earned five All-Star nods and won four Gold Gloves.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Notably, the concept under consideration is a multi-year arrangement. That’s a rarity for players contemplating a westward crossing of the Pacific, though NPB organizations have certainly agreed to multi-year pacts to retain players.

Jones, 34, would become one of the biggest MLB stars to play in Japan if he decides to make the move. Kevin Youkilis was another major player who headed to the NPB to cap off a memorable career, though his experience did not go as hoped and he played in only 21 games there before retiring.

It’s tough to imagine that Jones is receiving truly satisfactory interest stateside. The longtime Orioles star ended up landing a $3MM deal with the Diamondbacks last year after languishing on the market. he appeared in 137 games and received 528 plate appearances in Arizona, but struggled to a .260/.313/.414 batting line.

As part of a piece that’s worth reading in full, Jones told Zach Buchanan of The Athletic (subscription required) that he’s “perfectly OK” with playing less than he used to, when he was good for 145-plus games on a near-annual basis from 2010-18. Jones’ wins above replacement total in those days tended to range from two to four, but the current version simply isn’t that player anymore.

Jones has essentially been a replacement-level performer this year, according to both FanGraphs (0.2) and Baseball Reference (0.0), having hit .267/.316/.427 with 14 home runs in 454 plate appearances. Jones’ wRC+ (89) is his worst since 2008, his first full season, though he has improved as a defender since moving from center field to his new home in right this year. With minus-1 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-0.2 Ultimate Zone Rating, the four-time Gold Glove winner has been close to a neutral defender this season – not the overwhelmingly minus fielder he was during his closing years in Baltimore.

Although Jones hasn’t been a defensive albatross this year, he still may have trouble securing a guaranteed contract in the offseason. He had substantial difficulty last year on the heels of a better offensive season, after all. Regardless, having earned just under $100MM in the game (per B-Ref), Jones “figures he can now afford to be picky” when it comes to finding his next deal, Buchanan writes. Jones isn’t closing the door on his Arizona tenure, though, telling Buchanan, “Here would be a great place” to continue his career. Jones believes he’s still capable of being “very, very productive in this game for a few more years,” so it doesn’t seem retirement is on his mind at this point.

Trading veterans wouldn’t necessarily be a white-flag move on the part of Arizona, which could still find ways to remain competitive. Just last offseason, the Diamondbacks traded the longtime face of their franchise, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, in a package that netted them multiple major league-ready pieces in right-hander Luke Weaver and catcher Carson Kelly. Both players have helped the Diamondbacks’ cause during a 48-47 start that has put them a mere game behind the National League’s last playoff spot, though Weaver has been out since late May with a forearm strain.

Unlike Goldschmidt, it’s safe to say Jones wouldn’t return much in a deal. The longtime Oriole got off to a fast start with the D-backs this season after joining the club for a guaranteed $3MM in early March, but Jones’ offensive production has cratered since the beginning of June. Overall, the 33-year-old has hit .261/.310/.433 with 13 home runs and a personal-worst 90 wRC+ across 353 plate appearances. To Jones’ credit, after a few dismal years in the outfield at the end of his Orioles tenure, he has essentially been a neutral defender in right this season (zero Defensive Runs Saved, minus-0.6 Ultimate Zone Rating).

Even considering Jones’ passable work in the grass and his well-regarded leadership, the five-time All-Star’s production over the past couple years indicates he wouldn’t move the needle much for a playoff hopeful down the stretch. It seems doubtful anyone would acquire Jones and expect him to offer a ton of on-field value, but regardless, he wouldn’t be able to stop a trade from occurring. Thanks to the 10-and-5 rights Jones earned with the Orioles, he blocked a trade last year and finished the season in Baltimore.

Jones invoked his veto power to block a trade to Philadelphia last season, choosing stability and comfort in playing out his final contact in Baltimore where he played 11 seasons and accrued 31.6 rWAR. When a player like Jones rejects the opportunity to join a contender, many are quick to denounce the move as meddlesome, obstinance, or a signal of waning competitive drive. But players around the league supported Jones with texts of both congratulations and thanks. At season’s end, of course, Mike Elias took over the show in Baltimore and Jones heard nothing but crickets from Baltimore’s front office and ownership.

Jones’ saga is typical of the struggle facing veteran players these days (and Ghiroli’s piece is well worth a read). After being in-part vilified for invoking his well-earned right to stay in Baltimore, he received no interest as a free agent. Yet not even half a season later (now that he no longer controls his destiny), Jones could once again be in high-demand. This after receiving no interest as a free agent until a Steven Souza Jr. injury opened up playing time in right field for the Diamondbacks. His humbling offseason led to a resurgent season thus far for Jones, who brings a .279/.326/.488 line into play against the Nationals today.

At 33-years-old, Jones has the reputation of a player in decline largely because of a too-long stay in centerfield, but offensively he has remained much the same player he was in his prime. For his career, Jones carries a .278/.318/.458 line with 278 career home runs. He is not a superstar, but perhaps the poster boy for baseball’s undervalued middle class. Come the postseason, non-elites like Cody Ross, David Freese and Steve Pearce have often made the difference for championship clubs, and yet front offices around the league overlooked players like Jones and Hunter Pence – veteran clubhouse leaders whose on-field contributions in 2019 have so far outpaced the projections of their decline.

More from the NL East …

• On the health side, the Mets have seen encouraging progress from a few players. Jed Lowrie has resumed baseball activities and could be on track to return from his knee sprain early in the season. There’s even an “outside shot” that he’s on the active roster on Opening Day, DiComo says. And backstop Travis d’Arnaud  is expected to head north with the big league club after missing almost all of 2018, DiComo adds. d’Arnaud, who avoided arbitration at a $3.515MM salary, has continued to check boxes this spring as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
• Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor is turning heads inside and outside the organization, Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic writes (subscription link). While Victor Robles will be given a shot to make good on his promise, the Nats are also considering scenarios where he slides to right field to enable Taylor to roam in center. Utilizing such an alignment when there’s a lefty on the hill would also facilitate rest for Adam Eaton, who has been limited by leg ailments ever since arriving in Washington. Soon to turn 28, Taylor has had chances to seize regular time in the past but hasn’t managed to reach base consistently enough to fully realize his potential. He spent the winter working on swing mechanics and preparing to “stay[] strong on the mental side” with a more “positive” mindset. Taylor will enter the season fourth on the depth chart, but could still have ample opportunity with the Nats in the season to come and beyond.
• The Marlins pursued veteran outfielder Adam Jones before he signed with the Diamondbacks, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Those were the only two teams with interest in Jones, who suggested he was not inclined to consider minor-league offers. The Marlins ended up securing the services of some other veteran players on favorable terms, including a minors pact with outfielder Curtis Granderson; the club’s level of financial interest in Jones is not known. Jones says he “want[s] to play a few more years for sure, at least.”

The contract also contains $2MM in incentives. He’ll receive $250K upon reaching 250 plate appearances and every fifty thereafter, maxing out with 600 trips to the plate.

After 13 years with the Orioles, Jones’ first venture into the free agent market was a slow one, at least in terms of public reports.  The Mets were known to have interest in Jones’ services, while the Orioles and Indians were involved in Jones’ market to at least some minor extent, albeit on seemingly a much more limited basis.  MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter) notes that Arizona had interest in Jones in a short-term contract earlier in the offseason, so it’s quite possible that other mystery teams made quiet overtures to Jones’ representatives at CAA Sports.  Still, Jones had become something of a poster child for the difficulties faced by many veteran players (even a widely-respected figure like Jones) in the much quieter free agent marketplace of the last two offseasons.

Of course, it has been a while since Jones has exhibited the form that led to five All-Star appearances in his prime.  The 33-year-old has only been roughly a league-average offensive player (103 OPS+, 101 wRC+) over the last three seasons, as Jones hit .277/.315/.440 with 70 homers over 1920 plate appearances.  Jones’ center field defense also steeply declined — since the start of the 2016 season, Jones was last among all qualified center fielders in UZR/150 (-11.3), and second-last in Defensive Runs Saved (-40).

Interestingly, Jones now moves to a team that could still deploy him in center field on a semi-regular basis.  With A.J. Pollock off to the Dodgers in free agency, the D’Backs were working out Ketel Marte as a potential center fielder, with the newly-signed Wilmer Flores available for the bulk of playing time at second base if Marte indeed shifted to the outfield.  This could yet end up being Arizona’s preferred scenario, with Marte still seeing most of the center field action, with Jones available to play center on days when Marte is at second base.  Jones could also spell left fielder David Peralta against some left-handed starters, given Peralta’s career-long struggles against southpaws.  Arizona was in need of more outfield depth, as Jarrod Dyson could potentially miss Opening Day due to an oblique injury.

Fox Sports 1 analyst Dontrelle Willis (Twitter link) reported the signing, with ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan tweeting the money.  USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link) and Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link) had incentives details.

Here’s more from the western half of the baseball map…

• Felix Hernandez is entering the last season of his seven-year, $175MM contract, and while the veteran righty obviously won’t receive anything close to that salary in his next contract, it increasingly seems like it will be his last year altogether with the Mariners.  As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times puts it, “neither side seems interested in continuing the relationship” beyond 2019, creating the possibility of an awkward exit for one of the franchise’s greatest players.  After injuries hampered Hernandez’s effectiveness in 2016-17, the 32-year-old suffered through the worst season of his career in 2018, posting a 5.55 ERA over 155 2/3 innings.  As a result, Hernandez has been dropped to the fifth spot in Seattle’s rotation, thus ending his streak of 10 consecutive Opening Day starts.  There appears to be some hard feelings on Hernandez’s part about missing the opener, admitting to reporters that he was upset about the decision, though adding “I’ve got no comment to that,” when asked to give further details.
  
• Mariners rookie right-hander Gerson Bautista left today’s game after suffering an injury to his upper arm and/or pectoral muscle.  (MLB.com’s Greg Johns was among those to report the details.)  There’s no word yet on the severity of the injury, though Bautista left the mound in visible discomfort.  Bautista was part of the trade package acquired from the Mets as part of the Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz trade, and the 23-year-old has been making a good case to win a bullpen job during an impressive spring.
• Top Angels prospect Jo Adell will be out of action for 10-12 weeks after suffering both a Grade-2 right ankle sprain and a Grade-1 left hamstring strain, the team announced (Twitter link).  Adell was a consensus top-14 prospect in preseason top-100 rankings, with Baseball Prospectus going as far as to rank Adell as the second-best prospect in all of baseball.  The outfielder was expected to begin the year at Double-A, though Adell will now be force to miss a a big chunk of his third pro season.
• Tyler Skaggs missed today’s scheduled Cactus League outing due to forearm fatigue, Angels manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group).  As worrisome as any forearm issue is for a pitcher with Skaggs’ Tommy John history, the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious — Skaggs merely overworked himself while experimenting with a new pitch.  An MRI revealed no problems, and Skaggs is expected to be back on the mound in a few days’ time.  (A follow-up tweet from Fletcher even showed a picture of Skaggs playing catch after his start was shelved.)

Some stray items from around baseball as we head into the new week…

• Ten of the top names available in the 2019-20 international signing market are profiled by Baseball America’s Ben Badler, all of whom have teams already unofficially attached to their services even though the market doesn’t properly open until July 2.  Dominican outfielder Jasson Dominguez and Dominican shortstop Robert Puason are projected for the highest bonuses, each expected to land something around $5MM, with Dominguez linked to the Yankees and Puason connected to the Athletics.
• While the Indians are still looking for outfield help, the team isn’t currently “aggressively pursuing” Adam Jones or Carlos Gonzalez, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reports.  Both veterans were only moderately productive in 2018, both with below-average offensive numbers (as per wRC+) and Jones with some of the worst defensive metrics (minus-18 Defensive Runs Saved, -14.8 UZR/150) of any center fielder in baseball.  That said, both players could still represent an upgrade for Cleveland’s shaky outfield, though it appears the Tribe is checking other options for now.
• Trevor Bauer’s arbitration hearing took place on Friday, Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes reports, so details should soon emerge about the outcome.  There was a $2MM gap between Bauer and the Indians in exchanged figures, as Bauer’s camp is looking for a $13MM salary in 2019 and the team is aiming for an $11MM salary.  This will be the second arb hearing in as many years between the two sides, as Bauer defeated the Tribe in the hearing last winter to land his desired $6.525MM salary for the 2018 season.  Like Kluber, Bauer has also been a major figure in trade rumors this offseason.  He has one less year of team control than Kluber and a less-extensive track record, though Bauer is also almost five years younger than his rotation mate.
• The Royals have interest in veteran righty Drew Storen, The Athletic’s Jayson Stark reports (Twitter link).  Storen didn’t pitch last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2017.  The 31-year-old was a key figure in the Nationals’ bullpen from 2010-15, though he suffered through a disastrous half-season stint with the Blue Jays in 2016 before righting the ship after a July trade to the Mariners.  Prior to his injury, Storen had a 4.45 ERA, 7.9 K/9, and 2.09 K/BB rate over 54 2/3 innings out of the Reds’ bullpen in 2017.  Storen won’t carry a heavy price tag as he makes his return from TJ surgery, making him a target for payroll-conscious Kansas City.
• “Every trade, we’re trying to get back international money,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill told reporters, including Barry Jackson and Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald.  It’s clear that the international market is a cornerstone of Miami’s rebuilding process, and the club has been successful in landing extra money for their int’l draft pool in recent trades with the Astros, Reds, Nationals, and (as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade package) Phillies.  These extra funds have already paid dividends, as the Marlins signed highly-touted Cuban brothers Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr. last October.

• The Mets and right-hander Jacob deGrom began discussing a contract extension in December, but the two sides haven’t exchanged any offers yet, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. DeGrom, who’s controllable through 2020, is on track to enter camp on the $17MM salary he secured upon avoiding arbitration earlier this month. It stands to reason, however, that the team and player will engage in more substantive talks prior to the season. If serious negotiations take place, they’ll be particularly interesting to monitor given that deGrom’s previous agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, is now the Mets’ general manager. Van Wagenen challenged the Mets to either extend or consider trading deGrom last season, but the club’s previous front office didn’t bite in either case. The rookie GM will now have to help decide how much the team should pay his ex-client over the long haul.
• Interest in free-agent outfielder Adam Jones has picked up, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe suggests. It’s unclear which teams are chasing Jones, but rumors centering on the longtime Baltimore center fielder have been scarce this winter. Although he’s a highly respected veteran, the 33-year-old Jones’ halcyon days appear long gone. Jones may no longer be a viable option in center, where he posted minus-18 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-10.5 Ultimate Zone Rating in 2018, and has only been a league-average offensive player in 1,920 plate appearances dating back to 2016.
• Before he signed a minor league contract with the Marlins in November, Harold Ramirez received offers from 15 teams, the outfielder tells Walter Villa of Baseball America (subscription required). The Blue Jays, with whom Ramirez played at the Double-A level from 2016-18, offered the largest bonus ($32K), but he accepted the Marlins’ $25K proposal because he believes they present a more immediate path to the majors. In fact, the Marlins informed Ramirez that only one of their outfielders, Lewis Brinson, is a lock for a major league roster spot in 2019. Considering the dearth of established outfielders on hand, the 24-year-old Ramirez – formerly a well-regarded prospect – will have an opportunity to vie for a big league job with the Marlins.

• In terms of name value, Adam Jones ranks among the majors’ most prominent free agents, thanks to a successful 11-year run with the Orioles. Jones is coming off a below-average season, though, and as a 33-year-old corner outfielder whose best days as a hitter and defender are gone, he hasn’t drawn much reported interest in free agency. But there’s at least a glimmer of a chance the longtime Baltimore fan favorite will end up back with the Orioles, Joe Trezza of MLB.com relays. Asked Saturday about the possibility of re-signing Jones, rookie general manager Mike Elias said, “I don’t think anything is a dead issue,” and added the Orioles are “monitoring everything.” At the same time, however, Elias suggested the rebuilding club may continue to avoid major league free agency, as it has done so far this winter. Should that prove to be the case, it seems likely to rule out a return for Jones, who figures to command a big league deal.
• The Indians ran a franchise-high payroll in every season from 2016-18, each of which included an AL Central title, but that degree of spending “was unsustainable,” president Chris Antonetti said Saturday (per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com). “So we did need to reposition ourselves financially, which we were able to do with a series of moves earlier in the offseason and provide ourselves that necessary financial flexibility that we needed (for 2019 and beyond).” After opening last year with a payroll in the $135MM range, the Indians are projected to begin 2019 near $119MM, according to Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. Obviously, then, Cleveland hasn’t been aggressive in upgrading its roster this winter, though it’s still the favorite in its division. If the Indians find themselves in contention during the summer trade season, they should be in position to bolster their roster from outside, Antonetti noted. For now, though, any further offseason additions will be modestly priced, Hoynes writes.
• The Tigers claimed infielder Kaleb Cowart from the Mariners on Thursday with the idea of using him as a two-way player, general manager Al Avila confirmed Saturday (via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News). “We felt there was a possibility of a two-way guy here,” Avila said. “We’re going to put him on the mound and see if he can recapture what our guys saw when he was drafted.” Cowart was a first-round pick of the Angels in 2010 as a position player, but he impressed Tigers scouts back then as a high school pitcher. “I always followed his career because of what I saw him do on the mound,” said assistant GM David Chadd, who was the Tigers’ director of scouting during Cowart’s draft year. At the time, Cowart offered a 92 to 95 mph fastball “with heavy life and a slider he threw for strikes,” in addition to a splitter, Chadd recounted. Now, given that Cowart has been a woeful hitter in the majors, has no minor league options remaining and is set to face plenty of competition for an infield spot, the 26-year-old’s best hope to make the Tigers may be to show he can be a viable MLB pitcher, as McCosky points out.