The Orioles announced Monday that they’ve hired five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner Adam Jones as a special advisor to general manager Mike Elias and a community ambassador for the team. Jones will advise Elias on various aspects of baseball operations and be a resource for the rest of the baseball ops staff. He’ll also be a guest coach in spring training and participate in/advocate for various Orioles community initiatives (e.g. the team’s adopt-a-school program and Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program). During his playing career, Jones was a three-time nominee for MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award, recognizing his extensive community efforts in Baltimore.
“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.”
Heck yeah!! AJ! AJ!
O’s – Considering Adam calls Yoshida the “Japanese Juan Soto” because “he hits the ball with power and all over the field”, perhaps Yoshida to Baltimore is a possibility?
FPG — I like Yoshida, but I wouldn’t move anything the Os have to get him though. He also has no place in the Orioles line up at this point.
In general I think the Red Sawx lineup is second best in the AL East. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sawx and Orioles battling for the AL East pennant.
O’s – I still think if Yoshida can be healthy and strong for a full season he will hit over .300 with decent power. If the Sox eat most of his contract, they will likely regret it just like they did with Sale.
FPG — Yeah, like I said, I do like the players, just don’t like the price. (Asset price that is, not contract)
I badly wanted Yoshida when he was a FA and hoped his proximity to Jones as a former teammate would help the Orioles court him, but the BoSox paid much more than I would have for him (I was interested at like 4/$60 million).
Now there really isn’t anywhere for him to play in Baltimore with both OF corners and DH already spoken for and I wouldn’t really be interested in him anyway without Boston eating a decent portion of his contract, which would probably necessitate the kind of return for Boston that I would not be comfortable giving up within the division.
King – I totally agree! Right now Yoshida is a huge overpay obviously, but if he has a strong 2025 season and then gets traded I don’t think $37M for two years would be that hard to digest.
Yeah, if that happens, it wouldn’t be so bad.
Maybe we can trade for him next offseason after O’Neill has a monster 2025 and opts out!
Adam Jones Returns to the Orioles—Now Stealing Bases and Hearts as a Community Ambassador!
Good on him for going to the NPB to finish off his pro career.
Good to see him back.
Every team can use an Adam Jones for an ambassador.
(Jones was also the first Oriole outfielder to hit at least 25 home runs in five consecutive seasons.)
Love that stat, Yanks. AJ really did have a solid stretch there once he hit his stride. The ultimate free swinger build…rarely got over that 115-120 OPS+ range but you could take it to the bank that he was going to bring it each year. Leave a fastball up and out over the plate against him at your own risk.
Between him and Markakis, the O’s really did have center and right locked in for a good long stretch.
Best trade ever! Adam Jones Chris Tillman and Sherrill for Bedard. Jones was a stud SS in our system who I got to see play several times in Tacoma but was “blocked” by Yuniesky Betancourt (lol).
No, I’m not bitter at all!
The oddest part of that trade is that it was really the only trade around that time of a stud starter for several prospects that was a complete win for the team getting the young guys. Most of the deals for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee x3, CC Sabathia, Roy Oswalt, etc. were either clear wins for the team getting the starter or a win-win for both teams.
Seattle kind of made up for the Bedard deal getting Cliff Lee for Phillippe Aumont, JC Ramirez, and Tyson Gillies.
I remember it being controversial that we included Aumont: he was a giant kid with great physical tools and had a ton of hype. We’ve had a few of those guys over the years. Ryan “The Little Unit” Anderson lol
That’s why I never get all that worked up over prospects for two reasons. One, most of them never pan out and two, there are always more prospects ready to take their place very soon.
Everyone loves Adam Jones.
I think not.
Not Boston fans.
Adam Jones didn’t take sliders, days off, or guff.
True Grit.
The kind of man you keep in your organization in some capacity as long as he’s willing.
Captain America returns to Baltimore.
Is this supposed to be consolation for failing to improve the team?
Dynamite drop in, Monty!
We need some real news, like trading for a starter!
You’re putting yourself in a lonely spot with that sort of mindset, my dude. I can’t think of many O’s fans that wouldn’t be happy to hear this good news regarding a fan favorite player.
Hopefully this is a prelude to him getting his place in the O’s Hall of Fame.
The Orioles didn’t make the 2012 ALCS they lost to the Yankees in the ALDS that year.
This is awesome! AJ10!
Good for Adam and the Orioles.
Welcome back, Jonesy!