NEW YORK -- Orioles center fielder Adam Jones stood in a nearly vacant visitors' clubhouse after Tuesday night's 6-3 loss at Yankee Stadium. Following the non-waiver Trade Deadline deals involving Kevin Gausman and Jonathan Schoop, Jones, who vetoed any particular trade involving him, had no regrets about his decision.
"When players walked out years ago and walked the picket lines and stuff, they did that for reasons like this. I earned this and it's my decision," Jones said of declining several trade partners to stay with Baltimore. "I don't have to explain it to nobody. It's my decision."
A pending free agent at season's end, Jones is an active part of the community and father to two boys. He didn't elaborate on the reasons behind the decision -- which would have helped the Orioles shed roughly $6 million off the books -- but Jones did say he had no regrets. Much like Darren O'Day, who approved a trade to the Braves, Jones had the final say on interested teams like the Phillies and Indians.
"One hundred percent. I made the decision, you all didn't. This is my decision, this is my life," Jones said. "I'm not going around dictating other peoples lives. So, why do they do that with us? No one is going to tell me what to do, I earned every single bit of it. People before me fought vigorously, tirelessly to get rights like this. And I can invoke them."
As for what the future holds and whether Jones is tipping his hand that he would like to stay through the Orioles' rebuild, the 33-year-old was non-committal.
"I can't think that far past that. Like I said, I'm going to weigh every option I have, just like I did this time," Jones said. "There's still another month in the waiver wire and that kind of stuff, so you never know. But it's my decision. I appreciate everybody with their two cents. I didn't ask for it. But I greatly appreciate everybody with how they think Adam Jones should do his career. Thank you, for wasting your own personal time."