What if Adam Jones Leaves Too?

All of baseball has been playing the game of 'Where's Manny Machado Going?' It's become excessive at this point. Is he heading to Philly, to New York, to Milwaukee? It seems to be the only thing on everyone's minds, which distracts from another troubling fact for Baltimore fans: the buyers could come for Adam Jones as well.

The top conversation has been coming from Cleveland, who is looking for an extra outfield bat to join Michael Brantley. They also might try to target someone from the surprisingly-alright bullpen that Baltimore has accumulated. The talks may not lead to anything, but with Adam Jones having another very solid season, and with the Orioles looking like they may need to rebuild after their contract-heavy mindset has led to this 5th-place dissolution, it may be the best bet for both Jones and the O's.

Adam Jones has been a flagship star for the O's, coming to the team in 2008 in exchange for Erik Bedard, and joining a roster that included Corey Patterson, Aubrey Huff, Luke Scott and Melvin Mora. By 2012, the O's were contenders, thanks to rookies like Manny Machado, and some intriguing fringe players like Delmon Young, Chris Davis, Chris Tillman and Jim Johnson. Jones was never the ultimate source of power, but he was one of the players these teams were built around; eventually that distinction would be placed upon Manny Machado's shoulders, once he started having herculean seasons.

This has, to date, been Adam Jones' team, but it's not at the point where it was in 2011 where it might not survive without him. He's a sharp player with a ton of uses, but the Orioles may not be making a mistake in letting him go. The team's already in fifth, they're already losing Machado (and probably more), and they might need to clean house entirely (Buck too) in order to get back into contention.

So...if these means we've seen the last of Adam Jones' best days in an Orioles uniform, it's a sad truth, but one that may lead to some more pristine career accolades for Jones...and possibly a better future for the O's.

Coming Tonight: One of those 'we'll never get him in a million years' kind of characters. And we got him, and we're bobbing for first.