All-Star settling in with Arizona
OF Adam Jones hopeful of being ready quickly
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — There was no bitterness in his voice. Certainly no anger. Not even a hint of resentment.
Maybe there will be a time when Adam Jones will reveal his frustration about this long winter, but Tuesday wasn’t going to be the day. This was a day, Jones said, he wanted to celebrate. He finally has a job.
Jones signed a one-year, $3 million contract with $2 million in incentives with the Diamondbacks.
That’s it. A $14 million pay cut for the five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner who hit .281 with 15 homers last season for the Orioles.
But when your lone offer is from the Diamondbacks and the only other team to show interest the entire winter was the Marlins, your options are limited.
“It was either play in the major leagues or stay home,” he said. “And at 33, I feel like I have a lot left in the tank. ... This is the step in the right direction. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to continue to play baseball.”
He’s playing all right, and perhaps with a vengeance, wanting to prove to the baseball world it made a huge mistake by not showing any interest.
Sure, he concedes, he had a down year last season. You try maintaining your spirit when your team wins 47 games and finishes 61 games out of first place. His .732 OPS was his lowest in a decade. The defensive metrics were ugly, pushing him from center field to right field the final two months.
But there’s not an analytical chart that measures a player’s heart. There’s no metric to define clubhouse leadership. No sabermetrician can quantify a great teammate.
Jones will be bringing all of that to Arizona, along with a Grand Canyonsized chip on his shoulder.
“I don’t have the analytics in front of me,” Jones said. “All I know is that between the lines I know I can play. I think that’s all, to me personally, that matters. I just got to go out there and do it all over again. I can still hit. I can produce.”
There are teams that now say they would have signed Jones if they knew the price tag had dropped so much. They inquired early on about Jones and had sincere interest, but not at the price he was seeking.
Jones calls it excuses and says only the Diamondbacks and Marlins ever expressed actual interest.
“I think more guys were more frustrated than myself,” Jones said. “I just think it’s a process that a lot of people went through it last year and the year before. It’s an unfortunate situation especially for guys over 30, who I believe still have a lot to offer this game. You just got to ride the wave and ride it through and have faith that somebody is going to give you an opportunity. I’m glad it all worked out.”
Jones, one of the game’s most charismatic stars and a pillar in the Baltimore community with his charitable work, said the best part of his ordeal was the support from all of his peers. It was overwhelming.
“It was very humbling,” he said. “It’s great for guys to have your back in this instance. I’ve been a formidable force in the game. I’m just glad everyone can turn the page. I have a new opportunity here, so let me go out and try to maximize my opportunity.”
The Diamondbacks still can’t believe they landed him.
“I couldn’t believe he was available,” said manager Torey Lovullo, who saw plenty of Jones during his days as a coach with the Red Sox and Blue Jays. “Several days ago, when the front office threw the idea at me, I still couldn’t believe it. Not until he walked in here was I certain that he was going to be a member of the organization . ... He’s exactly what we need at this time.”
“He’s a game-wrecker,” Lovullo added. “I sat on the opposing bench sucking my thumb just hanging on for dear life, like he’s going to do something special, and he does.”
Jones, who has been working out in Phoenix for the past two weeks, is hopeful there’s enough time to be ready by the March 28 regular-season opener.
“I’m just glad the situation worked out perfectly here,” he said. “A lot of people are happy and excited I’m here. And I’m happy to be here.”