Birds Watcher
Fansided

Baltimore Orioles: Give Adam Jones the LeBron James treatment

By Mike Travers

facebooktwitterreddit

I have an idea. Well, to be completely candid, it’s not really my idea. I stole it. It’s crazy. But it’s just so crazy that it might work. Here it is:

Give Adam Jones a two-week vacation on the 15-day DL.

Let’s rewind and talk about basketball — only for a second, I promise. Just a few months into the previous NBA season, LeBron James and his Cavaliers looked beat. They were slow, sloppy, and just not that much fun to watch.

What did LeBron, the four-time MVP, do? He took a break. He took an unprecedented two-week break in the middle of the season to give his aching body a rest. The result: a trip to the NBA Finals in one of LeBron’s best seasons ever.

Now back to the O’s.

Live Feed

What If... The Mariners Did Not Trade Adam Jones?
What If... The Mariners Did Not Trade Adam Jones? /

SoDo Mojo

  • Adam "Pacman" Jones blames Andy Dalton for past Super Bowl shortcomingsStripe Hype
  • Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones a forgotten free agentCall to the Pen
  • Enter Woodbridge Wines video contest for a chance to meet Adam JonesThat Balls Outta Here
  • Enter Woodbridge Wines video contest for a chance to meet Adam JonesYanks Go Yard
  • Enter Woodbridge Wines video contest for a chance to meet Adam JonesTomahawk Take

    • Currently, the Baltimore Orioles have what can be looked at as a “good problem”. With second-baseman Jonathan Schoop set to return from injury in a matter of days, roster changes must be made — most likely to the outfield. With seven outfielders on the 25-man roster, and only three outfield spots to fill each day, someone has to go. Maybe.

    Adam Jones, Travis Snider, Delmon Young, Chris Parmelee, Nolan Reimold, David Lough, and Steve Pearce. These are our players in this year’s version of Outfield Roulette.

    Jones is the only one who is absolutely safe. Reimold and Lough are the only two that can play center field. Pearce is valuable in that he can play second and first, while Parmelee has also proven to be a solid defensive first baseman. Young and Snider struggle at times defensively, but both are hitting right around .270 on the year, which is very tough to complain about.

    More from Orioles News

    Yikes. Here is what putting Adam Jones on the 15-day Disabled List could do:

    [in the past three years] Jones has played in 98.97% of Baltimore’s games

    First off, it gives these guys two more weeks to duke it out. With their play of late, it seems that the corner outfield spots are Reimold’s and Parmelee’s to lose. However, neither of them have appeared in more than 13 games this year, so another two weeks will give the Orioles’ brain trust more time to decide if both of them are truly MLB-worthy.

    Second, and not to be undervalued, is the fact that Adam Jones gets two more weeks to rest his ailing shoulder and worn out body. Over the past three years, Jones has missed just five games. To put that in perspective, he has played in 98.97% of Baltimore’s contests. That’s a lot.

    Will it hurt to be without one of the leagues premier hitters and outfielders for a few weeks? Absolutely. But giving the team a better chance to evaluate their on-the-cusp players? That’s great.

    Oh, and getting a fresh and well-rested Adam Jones ready to make a playoff push for the second half of the season? Now that’s tough to beat.

    Next: Baltimore Orioles have thrived, even without Adam Jones

    More from Birds Watcher

    Home/Orioles News