Nixing trade allowed Jones to extend his local service

Outfielder says he has plenty of baseball left

In the middle of a final Orioles series that’s become appreciation weekend, the veteran outfielder said Saturday that he still has plenty of good baseball ahead of him. It seems unlikely that will be played in an Orioles uniform, but that remains to be seen.

Before Saturday’s doubleheader against the Houston Astros, Jones sat in the Orioles dugout and spoke about his community service, the past two months since vetoing a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies and what his future holds beyond this weekend.

As he held court with a media scrum, contemplating whether he’s had any regrets about his time in Baltimore — he quickly said he wished he found an efficient detour to avoid downtown traffic on Lombard Street — Jones, 33, saw first base coach and zeroed in on him.

“I’ve done everything I can do. I’ve still got a lot in the tank and you know it,” he said, directing his words at Kirby. “There’s a lot let in the tank. The oil got changed. There’s a lot left in the tank.”

On Saturday — a day that offered Orioles fans twice the opportunity to stand for every one of Jones at-bats — it was about recognizing his community service. The Orioles, Jones and his wife, Audie, contributed $150,000 to several local nonprofit organizations. The donation is the most recent among hundreds of thousands of dollars Jones has contributed to the community over his 11 years in Baltimore.

“My production between these lines has helped fuel everything off the field,” Jones said. “If I wasn’t that good a player, ain’t nobody coming out to [the events]. … This city has just supported me through everything and everything I’ve done between these lines, they’ve appreciated throughout the years. And at the end of the day, what I do between these lines dictates what happens away from it. It’s been a blessing to be a productive player to where I can venture myself out and loan myself out and loan my likenesses out to the city.

“This is where I was at. If I was in another city, if I stayed in Seattle, [I’d be doing the same]. They got me understanding what the community means to the franchise. The Mariners did a great job and they still do a great job of involving themselves in the community. And what I learned during my short time there was to involve yourself in the community that supports your franchise. It was easy to do. It was because I was here and this is where my mark was. If I was in any other city and I hopefully had the same success, I would have done the same thing.”

Jones said he blocked the Orioles’ potential trade to the Phillies because he believed playing a less significant role — albeit with a playoff contender — would hurt his free-agent stock this offseason. It’s a decision he doesn’t regret.

“Not a bit,” Jones said. “Why would I? If anyone can give me one reason why. There’s no reason why.”

Jones said remaining in Baltimore allowed him to remain a contributor to the community until the end of the season. He said his wife has been working since August to make the donations presented Saturday.

“We wanted to stay around because we did have so many charitable interests that we wanted to see through and make sure that they were followed through,” said. “We are happy that today we’re going to be able to show all the hard work and time we have spent with these organizations and we’re going to see finally the money is going to be dispersed. We’re just really, really happy.”

Jones, who was able to block a trade because of 10-and-5 rights — 10 years of major league service time and five seasons with the same club — said both sides “hold the cards” on deciding whether he returns to Baltimore or this is really goodbye.

Asked what his possible departure will mean for the programs he’s helped, Jones said, “It’s hard to do something when you’re not present. It’s something I have to wait and see how my future [turns] out.”

He said he hoped if he’s no longer with the team that a new player would emerge, but that on-field success must come first, as it did with him.

If it is indeed the end for Jones, he said it was rewarding to extend his time in Baltimore these past two months, saying he’s received so much appreciation for what he’s given the Orioles and the city on and off the field. He will have at least one more event this offseason, his sixth annual benefit tailgate event before a Ravens game in November, an event that raised $101,000 last season.

“I get a lot of different messages from a lot of different kids, a lot of fans, especially over the last month, two months, especially since I said no to the trade, just appreciations of [what I do],” Jones said. “It comes full circle. People appreciate me showing up to work every day, and in a city like Baltimore, a place [where] fans don’t like excuses, fans just want to you to show up to work and shut the hell up and play the game hard. That’s what I’ve done.

“Not shut the hell up,” Jones said, correcting himself. “But play the game hard.” Castro ends early: Right-hander

again served an important role as a multipleinning reliever for the Orioles this season, but his season ended prematurely with a right knee injury.

Castro, who has not pitched since Sept. 22, said Saturday he was done for the season.

“Thankfully, the knee feels better,” Castro said through interpreter “At the same time, I don’t think there’s going to be any chance for me to pitch again this weekend. I tried, but the recommendation was for me to take it slow and rest.”

Castro said he dealt with a similar knee injury during spring training, but this one was worse and included more swelling.

Only three major league relievers have pitched more innings than the 86 1/3 that Castro logged in 2018. That number includes one 2 2/3-inning spot start and which is a career-high at the big league level.

The knee began bothering Castro his last appearance, in New York. He said he tried to pitch again in Boston, but couldn’t.

“I am thankful for the season I had,” Castro said. “Obviously, I feel bad for not being out there, competing and trying to help the team. That’s the main thing I want to do. Sometimes there are certain things you can control and other things you can control and other things you cannot. So sometimes you just have to accept it.”

Castro finished with a 3.96 ERA, a season mark that would have been better had he not posted a 9.75 ERA in 11 August appearances. He ended the season with a 2.13 ERA in nine September appearances. Yacabonis to start Sunday: Orioles manager announced after Saturday’s doubleheader that right-hander

will start Sunday’s series finale. Yacabonis is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts) with the Orioles this season.

Left-hander was considered a candidate — he has provided quality long relief, posting a 3.00 ERA over 12 outings — but he was used for two innings in the doubleheader’s first game. Sisco still not cleared to return: Catcher who wanted to be with the Orioles during their most recent road trip after a foul tip hit him, was back with the club Saturday undergoing concussion protocol tests.

Sisco still hasn’t been cleared to return after a foul tip hit him in the bottom part of the mask, giving him a gash on his chin and sending him to concussion protocol.