It’s been an offseason defined more by the losses than the gains for the Baltimore Orioles. Given the youth of its core, the window of contention is still very much open.
In support of its mission of finally breaking through in the postseason, the Orioles have brought back a franchise great to fill a front office role.
Adam Jones, the former five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove-winning centerfielder, is back in the Baltimore organization as a special advisor to general manager Mika Elias and a community ambassador, it was announced Monday.
Per the release, Jones will assist Elias in an abundance of areas, all while playing the role of a resource for the baseball operations crew as well as the O’s major and minor league ball players.
He is also slated to be a guest instructor during Spring Training down in Sarasota, Florida. It’s a great opportunity for a young outfielder like Colton Cowser and even newcomer Dylan Carlson to learn from someone who once thrived in the O’s outfield over an extended stretch.
The Orioles chose the perfect person to support Mike Elias: Adam Jones
Jones became a part of the Orioles in February 2008 when the Seattle Mariners dealt him along with four pitchers in exchange for starter Erik Bedard. He would go on to excel in orange and black, serving as a major contributor to Buck Showalter’s Oriole ball clubs across 11 professional campaigns.
He amassed a career .279/.319/.459 slash line in Baltimore, finishing top-five in multiple franchise leaderboards — hits (1781), home runs (263), singles (1186), and total bases (2929).
The California native earned three top-15 MVP finishes, with his best being in 2012 when he finished in sixth position, ahead of Derek Jeter and Justin Verlander.
It’s a slam dunk all around. You can’t miss the name Jones when pondering Baltimore’s illustrious baseball history. He is etched in it, acting as a significant face of the team for the better part of a decade.
Jones became a role model for young kids growing up in the Maryland area, not only for his on-field play but for his contagiously positive personality and impactful work in the community.
He’ll always be an Oriole, which makes this new role such a perfect fit.
