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BALTIMORE (AP) â The reshaping of the Baltimore Orioles took another significant turn Friday when longtime center fielder Adam Jones was moved to right field to make room for rookie Cedric Mullins.Jones has started in center for Baltimore since his arrival in 2008. The 33-year-old played the position well enough this year http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-jed-l...rie-jer sey , but the last-place Orioles are ready to try someone younger and faster in the middle of the outfield.Manager Buck Showalter called Jones âone of the great center fielders in Oriole history,â but said the 12-year veteran has known for a while that the switch was coming.âIt had to be the right guy,â Showalter said. âWe think Cedric might be the right guy.âThe 23-year-old Mullins had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup against Boston. He was to play center field and bat ninth in his big league debut.This is not a one-day experiment.âAdam will play right and Cedric will play center. Thatâs the way I perceive it,â Showalter said. âIf something happens with Cedric, weâll see. If something happens with Adam, well Tony Phillips Jersey , I hope nothing does.âHe added: âThis is about the future going forward.âJonesâ contract expires after this season. The Orioles attempted to send him to another team before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but Jones had the right of refusal and used it.Now, he will play out the season in right field while helping Mullins adjust to playing center in the big leagues.âHim being the team leader, heâs been very supportive with me playing center field,â Mullins said. âWeâve had a lot of contact about it and just guiding me through it.âMullins was selected by Baltimore in the 13th round of the 2015 draft. He started the year with Double-A Bowie before moving up to Norfolk.In 59 games with Norfolk, he hit .267 with five homers http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-walt-...iss-jer sey , 18 RBIs and 12 steals. Mullins also carried a .994 fielding percentage.To make room for Mullins, the Orioles designated Danny Valencia for assignment â yet another move to make the team younger. The 33-year-old Valencia was batting .263 with nine homers and 28 RBIs.âIâd be surprised if he doesnât land with a contending club,â Showalter said. New York also needs to address its bullpen with David Robertson and Zach Britton ticketed for free agency.Then there's the question of where it'd put Harper and/or Machado. Harper's left-handed bat would be a welcome addition to the Yankees' righty-heavy lineup, but their outfield could be set with Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and youngster Clint Frazier. They might also exercise their one-year, $12.5 million option on veteran Brett Gardner.Machado would fill a more obvious need at shortstop with Didi Gregorius out for at least the first two months of the season after Tommy John surgery. But Gregorius should return by the end of August Marcus Semien Jersey , and New York is set at third base, though you can make an argument about Miguel Andujar's questionable defense.Some will say, sign the best players and then figure out where to play them. The Yankees have a reputation for being in on the top free agents every offseason and just watched the dang Red Sox bathe in champagne.They should be smart, however, and funnel their resources toward areas of weakness rather than gild an already potent offense by signing gaudy, knee-jerk superdeals. They won 100 games in 2018. With a little more pitching http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-m...gan-jer sey , they might have won it all.Obviously, if by some miracle Harper's and Machado's markets don't develop as expected, New York should swoop in. That's highly unlikely, however. At this stage of the game, being cagey and borderline indifferent takes negotiating power away from the agents and their clients. Unless you're the agents or clients, that's a good thing.The Yankees and their fans have a right to be angry. They also have an obligation to not overreact...or overspend. All statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.
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| Beitrag vom 05.12.2018 - 06:37 |
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