Jones sensed ‘nothing’
Clubs had little interest in D’backs’ new veteran
For outfielder Adam Jones, the off-season was about waiting for the phone calls that never came.
Jones, who signed with the Diamondbacks March 11, said only two clubs expressed serious interest in him during his time as a free agent.
“There was nothing,” Jones said. “I guess you say ‘interest,’ but I always believe when you have interest you talk to someone. There was nothing. Like I said, I’m glad Arizona stepped up to the plate and offered me something.
“It was like, either play in the major leagues or be at home. At 33, I feel I have a lot left in the tank. I want to play a few more years for sure, at least. This was a step in the right direction toward doing that.”
He said the only other team to reach out was the Miami Marlins, with whom his agent had “very, very small conversations,” he said.
“I told my agent not to call me when someone calls you to say hi,” Jones said. “Don’t waste my time on that; I’m somewhere with my family. But call me when something is interesting. There was never really a phone call.”
Jones, a five-time All-Star, was connected to more teams than that, but he said those reports either weren’t true or were put out there by the clubs themselves.
Jones was one of many free agents to encounter an unfriendly market the past two offseasons. As front offices become more analytically driven, teams have increasingly steered away from older veterans and more toward younger, cheaper players.
“It’s an unfortunate situation, especially for guys over 30, who I believe still have a lot in the tank, a lot to offer this game,” Jones said. “There’s always that saying that baseball players can play until they’re 40. It’s a little bit different game now, but you just have to ride the wave and ride it through and have faith that somebody is going to give you an opportunity.”